Different World of a Different Time
by Celeste Aislin
Summary: In a desperate attempt to save her mother and the planet of her birth, Small Lady Serenity made a hasty journey to the past, in search of the crystal and the guardians who could come to her aid. But somehow, the tiny princess traveled a bit too far...
1. Chapter 1

_Different World of a Different Time_  
by Moonlight Eternal

This is one of my more recent fics, though it is still some 3-4 years old, and it has been a while since I worked on it. However, it, and Silver Glass, are probably the two closest to my heart (and therefore the most likely to be completed in the future). I hope everyone enjoys!

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Chapitre One

She knew that Sailor Pluto would be against it. It was neither her job nor even her responsibility in the eyes of the Guardian of Time. She would tell her to leave it to the Sailor Scouts; those with experience would handle it. But of course, Rini knew otherwise. To save her home, her family, that was all she could think to do. It was her responsibility…because if they only knew what had happened…if only they knew how it was her fault…

'Don't think about it,' she instructed herself as she rushed out into the quiet night. It was too quiet for any city, but especially for the capital of a kingdom. It was too dark as well. Eerie shadows flicked here and there, with the occasional motion of life: a rat or mouse running for the safety of its alley at the sound of running feet. The only light in the sky was emitted from the grey moon, and it was only a sliver in a starless sky. The city was dead… in more ways than one.

The small princess stopped at the center of the Northern Garden of Carmella. She glanced around her cautiously, watching for any shadows to move in unnatural ways. She looked no more than 5 years old, yet already she had the senses of a cat in the dark. She continued to look around warily for a moment, all the while taking in the familiar surroundings of the northern garden. The large fountain trickled gently, only half of it frozen in what seemed winter's ice but was, most unfortunately, not. It was the middle of spring, and there had been no sudden freeze to bring on the appearance of an endless winter in her home. The surrounding trees were stiff, although a slight breeze passed through, bringing along with it the smell of death and the tinkling of crystal chimes, even though they were in reality the leaves and branches of the trees brushing against one another. The garden seemed to be full of large likenesses of trees made out of ice or crystal. The flowers that nestled between the crystalline trees also looked as if they had been shaped from rock. It was as though Rini stood in a frozen wonderland of a cold, lifeless, and false nature. Small memories of a greener and happier time flashed through Rini's mind, but she forced them aside. There was no time to think about the past. Not the recent past anyway.

A hopeful look passed over her face as she lifted a small golden key to the sky. She felt her heart beating within her breast as she spoke the enchantment that would open Cronos' Gates to her, the Gates of Time. Thinking hard of her destination, she attempted to pass through the gates of time without the guardian either realizing it or stopping it. A bright light flashed, enveloped her, and then sent her shooting somewhere, ripping her through time itself…She could not be sure she accomplished anything until Rini found herself gazing downwards at something large and sky blue…was she falling or flying?

For a moment, Rini felt her body hesitate in the air, desperately trying to defy gravity…And then she plunged downward until she hit what felt like jagged rocks but she subconsciously realized was water. Her eyes having adapted to brightness, she felt the sun's rays and saw the green grass nearby before her head plunged downward into the open waters.

At first, she struggled to surface, a body's instinct, but even with the lessons she'd had the previous summer, her child's body could not fight the weight of soaked clothing. Like lead blocks, it pulled her down, bringing her further and further from the light surface. Her lungs began to scream for air and all the while she fought to go back up to the surface. Her lungs burned and she kept opening her mouth trying to breath, and shutting it desperately, trying not to take in water that would flood her lungs and drown her. 'I'm going to die…' she thought as she felt her body pulled down. 'I'm going to die and be with Mama.' She almost felt the smile creep 

across her lips until her own mind kicked in. Quietly, it mentioned that her mother was still alive. Everyone was still alive. They had to be… they were!

And suddenly she was coughing and spluttering water out. She felt warmth around her, and voices were yelling everywhere. Blearily she opened her eyes to a woman's concerned face. She had rose-colored hair and eyes of twilight, as beautiful as the setting hues of the moon. Rini turned her head slightly to look at the person who, she realized hazily, was holding her. His dark blue eyes peered at her with the same vivid worry as the woman's, his ebony black hair dripping with water. He was so familiar… "Papa?" She whispered. The eyes widened out of shock and Rini realized faintly that this man could not be her father…he was not from this time…or was he? Before her mind could ponder this, the man and everything else was swallowed by darkness.

Rini began to stir slightly. For the first few seconds, she thought perhaps it had all been a bad dream, that she'd wake up to find her mother's elegant figure smiling beside the bed, awake and ready to help her daughter start the new day. However, those thoughts only lasted a moment. As she groggily regained consciousness, she realized her new situation wasn't good. From the cold metal feel on her wrists and ankles, the pink-haired princess deciphered that she was in shackles.

…This did not bode well…

As her mind slowly started to work, Rini began to form the sounds around her into actual voices. They were all slightly familiar, though she could not put her finger on any of the owners. And the language they spoke...she knew it, yet it wasn't her first language either... Before she could wonder what language it was, her mind had subconsciously shifted to it and she faintly wondered if she'd just imagined it wasn't her own.

"I say she's a spy!" she began to register what exactly the voices were saying.

"A 5 year old spy, Jed? Oh yeah, perfectly logical," someone replied sarcastically.

"Perhaps she's a demon! I could always perform an exorcism-"

"NO, HELIOS!"

"What?"

"Need we remind you of your last attempted exorcism?" a relaxed voice asked lazily.

"…Oh." Helios replied.

"I say she's just a child who's lost. Nothing more to it," the relaxed voice continued.

"And that's why she's been chained? That makes just as much sense as Jed's idea mixed with one of Helios's incantations!" The second voice returned with even more bitterness and quite a bit of exaggerated sarcasm.

"Hey…" Helios sounded somewhat offended.

"It's just for your protection, Endymion." A new voice soothed.

"I'd like to think that I can at least protect myself from a child, Malachite." Endymion wasn't bothering to keep his voice down.

"It wasn't my idea in the first place so don't get angry at me!"

"Then whose was it?" Endymion asked, exasperated.

Four voices replied in unison, "Jadeite's."

There was a moment of silence before the first man, addressed both as Jed and apparently as Jadeite, spoke. "Endymion, don't give me that look. You know just as well as I that age makes no difference on the moon. She could be a 900 year old sorceress come to kill the Crown Prince."

"If so, I don't think metal cuffs are really going to prevent much…and I can't help thinking that she would know how to swim," the relaxed voice returned snidely.

"Zoisite, you can really be annoying…did you know that?"

"Oh shut up already Jed. You are way too obsessed with the moon," Malachite sighed.

"At least it's not like your obsession with Venus," Jadeite snapped.

"Just because I find Venusian women quite attractive doesn't mean you have to turn it against me. It is nothing like your constant berating of the moon. And just in case you didn't remember, my step-mother happens to be its queen, so shut up about it or I'll shut you up," Malachite quipped back.

"Fine, you all believe they're peaceful, sentient beings-"

"We will," everyone returned.

"-but when the day comes that they launch a surprise attack, don't cry to me."

"Is he **still** talking?" an unfamiliar voice asked.

Rini's adept ears caught the slight muttering of Jadeite still trailing across the room. Rolling her closed eyes a bit, she answered "yes" without realizing it. Her eyes snapped open a millisecond later out of outrage and surprise. Yes, he had been insulting her mother's home, but it was no reason to give away the one thing that kept her safe for the time being!!

Rini inwardly groaned as she heard the loud shuffling of feet around her. Her comment had not gone unheard. Goddess curse her mouth…Slowly, she sat herself up on what she now realized was a couch. A quite comfortable couch at that. Glancing around her in the instant before she was interrogated and put to death, Rini took in the surroundings of what seemed to be a...study!? There were bookshelves, desks, a couple tables, a sofa, loveseat, arm chair, a fireplace…and mounds of books everywhere. 'Lots of books…Papa would love this.' She blinked back her tears and made herself study the surroundings. If she were anything but a prisoner, she would have naturally assumed she was in a study. 'I guess they just have really nice dungeons…'

"She's awake!" a brown-haired man said in surprise. Rini recognized his voice as the last she had heard. She looked the man in the eye. He was not short, but he wasn't a giant either. He had lightly tanned skin, shoulder-blade length wavy chestnut brown hair, and serious unsmiling gray-blue eyes. However, he did have a small smile on. A small, guarded, slightly snide smile, but a smile nonetheless.

"Good observation, Nephrite…" Rini now had a face with which to match the bored voice she had heard earlier. Strawberry-blonde, curly hair pulled back into a ponytail at the nape of the neck framed a pale face with dark green eyes peering knowledgably out. The effect was a man who, while undeniably good looking, would always be called 'beautiful' not handsome. He stared at her for a short moment before a slight smile also appeared across Zoisite's face. Rini kept her own placidly emotionless.

"She seems to have your detached look down, Endy," the second shortest man in the room stated with some humor evident in his voice. Rini recognized it as exorcism guy Helios. He had short snow-white hair and laughing turquoise eyes, and a rather cute face. Towards the center of his forehead was a small teardrop-shaped red jewel, no larger than Rini's small fingernail. The shape didn't make a profound change to his appearance, but Rini couldn't help but wonder what the jewel meant as no other person in the room had any similar marking on their face. Helios gave a genuine, warm smile to her as he plopped himself on the arm of the chair, arranging his white robes around him. This was another slight oddity to his appearance. Everyone else was wearing grey or black. Despite the discrepancies with the others, this man seemed nice...

"If anything, she looks like Quartz's daughter to me, not yours Endymion," a voice with a little laughter said from the other side of the room. It came from, Rini realized, the tallest man in the room. He had broad shoulders, icy blue eyes, and white-blonde hair that reached to about mid-back. His outward appearance was stern and foreboding, and he managed to appear cold, haughty, and cynical without effort. After hearing his voice though, Rini guessed it was just an act he assumed around strangers. He did not smile at her, she could tell he was not the type, but his eyes were welcoming.

"You guys are all idiots...and blind. She's NO ONE'S daughter, she's a SPY I TELL YOU!!" exclaimed a man with sandy blonde hair, cut neatly short. His eyes were a light sky blue, and usually Rini would find them wonderfully inviting and clear, but the maniacal expression he wore was quite daunting. She inched away from him, and turned her eyes away 

from Jadeite's face and into a rather familiar one, if a trifle younger. This man could only be her…

"Papa?" she could not help but whisper. Every face in the room changed from relaxed to shocked and surprised. Some of the faces even had horror written across them.

"Endymion…" Zoisite's voice had an edge in it as he approached Endymion, who in his full right was exhibiting a jaw drop 3 feet long.

"That's the SECOND time you've been called a dad. I'm thinking this is just a LITTLE suspicious…" Malachite said with equal surprise.

"Oh come ON guys!" Endymion said, backing away from the five men who were approaching him with vicious stares. They all looked quite frightening and Endymion played his part as the frightened well. If only he was actually acting…. Had her own situation not been so bleak, Rini probably would have laughed. She had the feeling that action was farthest from the dark-haired man's thoughts. What had they called him? Endymion? "You know very well that I've never…they couldn't…none of them had pink…" a crimson blush crept up Endymion's face as he glanced back at Rini out of desperation; he also seemed to find it an embarrassment even speaking of such things in front of her. Why Rini did not really understand…

While the man with the same name as her father was cornered, Rini began to wonder if this Endymion could be her father. Yes, he had dark black hair and deep blue eyes so there were definitely physical similarities. But who knew? Her father could be the XVII Endymion to walk Earth, named after this one who could be the I or X, who knew with the way names were passed down… So physical likenesses and names did not mean much of anything, or at least they did not hang large blinking signs on people that Rini stumbled upon in the past that said "PAPA YEARS AGO."

A few more details made it virtually IMPOSSIBLE for this specific Endymion to be her dad. Her mother had told her stories of when she and Rini's father had fallen in love. That had been a long time ago admittedly, but her mother had elaborated on their lives as regular people in normal houses with normal friends, even though Rini had trouble imagining either of her parents as normal. Unless living in a palace as either a nobleman or a guard was what her mother considered normal, this was not that same time. Additionally, Endymion was not exactly a common peasant's name. Rini had been told her parents went by other names they had been given earlier in life, to keep things simpler, as well as keep them out of harms way. Of course, WHY they were out of harm's way was never conveyed to Rini but then that was the story of her life. There were always things she was not allowed to know, things to stay away from, things she was not privy to. Secrets, secrets, and more secrets… Anyway, all logic pointed that the man standing before her, surrounded by fellow guards or noblemen, whatever they were, was at the most a distant relation to her father the King.

And even if that tiny bit of her that went against all logic WAS right…

Well, then he still was not her father _yet_. Something made blatantly obvious by his 

stuttered attempts to convince his friends without delving into a topic that he obviously considered unfit for discussion around her. Rini wondered if it was because she was a girl…

So in response, Rini shook her pink locks, long since freed from their usual ponytail and bunned state, along with her head at the men who were preying on an innocent. "No, sirs, he's not my father. He only resembled him for a moment," she spoke clearly so everyone in the room heard her. Their faces all turned to her, and something like relief washed over them all, although Endymion's face was by far the most relieved. He actually started to breathe again….

Suddenly, Helios tensed a second time. "Wait, someone who _looks_ like Endymion?!" he said nervously.

"Surely not…your father?" Malachite had caught onto Helios's idea as well. He was once again eyeing Endymion harshly, and the others followed suit.

"H-how am I supposed to know?! It's not like my father's love life is any of _my_ business…" Endymion stuttered, backing away. He turned slightly green. "And it's not something I particularly like thinking about either…"

While doom ensued upon one of her alleged prison guards, and despite all of her will, tears formed in Rini's rose-red eyes. She inwardly shunned herself for showing any signs of weakness to these men. No matter how nice they seemed, and no matter how much one looked like her father, they were NOT her allies. Not even neutral parties! They were her jailers. She had a mission she was supposed to be fulfilling and 5 seconds into it, she had already failed…what would her mother think of her? No, better not to think about that…

'She wouldn't be ashamed of me...' Rini reassured herself. 'I am sure she knows I am trying…I told her before I left…'

And yet even with this small grain of hopefulness Rini attempted to emit for herself, she felt the tears roll down her pink cheeks. In an attempt to hide her shame, Rini tried to lift her sleeve to her face but found her arms restricted. Now on the verge of losing any composure she still had, Rini began lifting her chained legs up to her chest. But before the chains on her ankles even jangled, she felt a soft cloth dabbing her tears away. Rini looked up and found the deep, smiling midnight eyes that had held the worry for her staring back. "What's wrong with you, Little One?" Endymion asked. The five others were squabbling among themselves still and seemed to be playing a game of rock-paper-scissors. Rini caught the basic gist of their conversation…

"Endymion's!"

"The King's!"

"Demon!"

"Helios…"

"Quartz's!"

"Moon spy!!"

"JADEITE!!"

More tears welled up in her eyes, though these were angry. Rini stared hard into the face of the man before her and attempted to gulp back the tears of her homesickness and fear. "I'm not little," she stated shakily, but with all the dignity due to a queen.

Endymion bowed his head in respect. "My apologies, Lady, I should have known better. Might I ask your name?"

Rini was not too taken aback by the question, it was only to be expected that he would ask. Unfortunately, what she was thrown off by was her answer. Her name was Serenity, her nickname was Rini. But how stupid would she be to give her real name to a potential enemy? Besides, she had her mother's name, and since this man had her father's name, it was quite possible she was far back enough in time that her great-grandmother had the same name as her. And that would cause more trouble than it was worth…But then, she supposed, what harm would giving her nickname cause?

"…Rini," she hiccupped. Endymion's companions had yet to realize he was missing from the scuffle they were now in, having left peaceful negotiations behind.

"Rini," Endymion repeated softly, glancing up to check on what the others were up to, and then back down at her. He smiled warmly. "It's a sweet name. I think it suits you well."

Rini could not help but allow a small smile to grace her own face.

"I'd love to introduce myself to you properly, but doing that would require me taking those off," he motioned to her restraints. Rini felt some of her hopes fly out the window and tumble down the hill into the river. "I can do that, but only if you promise me something," Endymion continued. Suddenly, Rini's hopes learned how to swim.

"What kind of promise?" Rini masked her hope with her own curious suspicion.

"Just answer a few questions for me and we'll call it even, okay?" Questions…that didn't sound too difficult.

"I don't suppose you'll let me go…?" Rini pushed forward.

"Unfortunately, that I can't do that yet. But as soon as we find out your reason for trespassing-"

"Trespassing? I was trespassing?!" Rini looked aghast at her own stupidity. Endymion managed, eventually, to not look shocked.

"It's alright, we'll take care of it. There will be a little trial, and as long as you did not do anything and answer truthfully, everything will be fine. In fact, as long as you tell me truths, the prince might just wave the trial and you can be on your way. Now, about those questions…"

Rini shrugged in response. "As long as it's not spelling, I think I can handle it."

Endymion laughed softly, then held out his hands. Rini at first fearfully thought he was going to shake her and it had all been a trick to let her guard down, but instead the irons seized up and fell away to the ground with a satisfyingly loud clatter (although the other men in the room were still too involved in one another to notice). Rini was surprised by that, but she was even more surprised when she turned back to find Endymion kneeling before her. She felt a slight blush creep up her face as he brushed her small hand against his lips.

"Lady Rini, it is a privilege to meet you. I am Endymion of Earth." Rini's blush deepened. A princess she was, but all she had ever received in her life was a respective bow. And she had NEVER been addressed as a lady. And WHY was her heart fluttering? "Where do you come from?" Endymion inquired, sitting back on his heels before her. Rini was peeved to find out that even rocked back on his heels he was almost as tall as she was standing.

Rini hesitated to answer. She knew she was far in the past, although how far was beyond her. Crystal Tokyo was definitely non-existent, and from what she could tell from the aerial view earlier, she was not even sure Tokyo would be a good answer. She wondered quickly how far back she had gone. Discarding numerous names of provinces and cities, all of which she doubted existed, she finally settled on a reply. "Earth," she answered shortly.

Endymion smiled despite himself. "Fair enough, my answer was just as vague. Alright, here's what I'd really like to know: why were you found here on the palace grounds?" Rini looked up at him somewhat petulantly. How could SHE explain that they happened to be in the same locale as her own home in the future?? Endymion, however, returned her gaze with a smiling yet stern one. Rini knew she had to answer… it was just one of those looks.

"So I'm not a prisoner...?" Rini asked, dodging the question.

Endymion raised his eyes in response. "Much as I'd like to confess that this is the state of all our dungeon facilities, they're severely lacking in the 'homey' touches... this happens to be a study/library of sorts. You aren't technically a prisoner, no. Though as I said, you were trespassing; but despite what some other planets think, Terrans don't normally throw people into cells. Especially not children. So if you could just tell me what you were doing...?"

The question had returned. Rini guessed, correctly from Endymion's gaze, that she wouldn't be able to skip again. "I'm looking for someone…" She finally muttered cautiously.

"Who?" Endymion pressed.

"Yeah, who?" Helios asked, popping up behind Endymion's shoulder. Endymion groaned. He already knew this interrogation was over. As soon as the guard had finished arguing they'd all be over here and-

"Endymion, how could you free the prisoner?!" Jadeite cried in alarm.

"She's not a prisoner any longer, Jed. Her name is Rini and-"

"Rini, huh? That's a cute name! Suits you well!" Helios smiled enthusiastically as he bit into an apple.

"Did you know that 'Rini' the name has great significance with Luna's royal line? The name began as an epithet for-" Zoisite began. From the way Helios rolled his eyes at Zoisite and started making funny faces behind his back, Rini guessed that lectures like this were common. She also gathered that Helios did not set much by them. She struggled not to laugh at a particularly funny face.

"See, MOON family!! She _IS_ a moon spy!"

"Would you give the spy thing a REST Jadeite?!" Endymion asked, whirling around.

"I wonder if Quartz put her up for adoption…." Malachite continued in his own little world.

Rini's head was spinning. Luna's royal line? Had they met Luna's grandmother or something? A spy? Quartz? Like Amethyst? Cute? It was all too much, she felt herself getting dizzy. The room began to spin as she faintly heard her godmother's voiced warning to her, to always rest after time travel…then she saw her mother's smiling face handing her the time key on her birthday…and then her mother searching for her… 'Mama…' …Before the attack, when her mother had told her she could be anything as long as she tried… 'Mama!' …The crystal…how could she have taken it?! Before she knew it, all of Rini's memories of the last day and a half flooded her mind. Her mother's seemingly dead crystalline form, her father's injured body, all of them lying there on the ground…it was all…no she wouldn't think about it… she mustn't… but her barriers were down and trying to bring them back up was like trying to build a dam in the middle of a flood.

"MAMA!!" Rini felt the tears explode from her eyes and run down her face. The burn of her royal crest lit up the room and the shocked faces of Endymion and the others.

"What in all Hells?!" Malachite's voice rang out, serious for the first time.

"The Lunarian Crest!" Zoisite shouted knowledgably.

"A sp-" Jadeite's voice was muffled by Helios' hand.

Rini was alone in her pain. No one was alive to share it with her, and even if they were, they were not near her, they were eons away in the future…Her tears continued to fall even as she felt a warm hand encircle her own and an arm wrap around her waist, pulling her into a comforting hug. It felt so much like her father holding her that Rini gave up and allowed herself a momentary rejection of the truth. For a second, she let herself believe that she was home and that her father was rocking her to sleep as he did after she had had a nightmare or bad dream. She pushed the memories as far away from her as possible. As the light of her forehead diminished and her sobs subsided some, she said what she had to. "My mama…I have to save my mama…" 

And then she collapsed into Endymion's strong arms.

A ringing silence fell onto the room as all its inhabitants minus the child stared flabbergasted at one another. Then pandemonium struck.

"What of PURGATORY was that?"

"She's a demon."

"Not you too Jadeite…"

"A MOON DEMON!!"

"AH! I think that ray gave me a sunburn!"

"Obviously you need to venture forth into the realm of light more often, Zoisite."

"Could you guys be serious for one-" Nephrite began. Everyone in the room jumped as a loud sound erupted from the door. "Your highness, are you alright?!" There was another second of stunned silence before Malachite jumped to the rescue.

"Everything's fine! Jadeite just lit the couch on fire again!"

"What?! I did-" Helios once again calmly silenced Jadeite with a hand.

"Do you need any assistance?!" Who ever was on the other side stopped trying to break down the door.

"Nope. Everything's under control," Helios called, looking at Endymion as though he found the entire situation quite funny. Endymion himself could not see the humor in any of it.

"All right…" as the footsteps retreated, everyone looked back at the unconscious child Endymion held.

"What **is** it?" Nephrite tentatively broke the silence, his eyes roving freely up and down Rini's body as if he expected to find an extra arm or third eye.

"SHE is a little girl," Endymion snapped indignantly, checking Rini over and then setting her on the couch, struggling momentarily as a wave of dizziness washed over him. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could feel a headache starting to form.

"Yes. One of the Lunarian royal line as well," Zoisite said thoughtfully.

"Of the royal line? But there are only 2 children of the moon…"

"Perhaps this is Destiny?" Jadeite asked, looking towards Malachite. He certainly had no clue.

"No, this isn't my half-sister. For one, she had platinum hair and blue eyes last I looked, and two, this girl seems to be at least 4 years younger than Destiny, if I am keeping the years 

right. And please, don't even try to pass her off as Serenity." Malachite answered.

"Not that we've seen her enough these last few years to rule it out…" Nephrite muttered, a slight pout appearing on his face.

"Stop being overdramatic! We KNOW she didn't have pink hair the last time we saw her…additionally, she was a little taller, older, more developed…" Endymion trailed off at a look from Malachite. Maybe that last comment hadn't been necessary... A timely throb from his headache gave him an excuse to break eye contact with his friend and hold a hand to his temple.

"Speaking of Ren, when was the last time anyone saw her?" Malachite asked. "I haven't even gotten to talk to her in ages, she's been too busy these last few months."

"Never met her," Jadeite said immediately and didn't bother to hide his relief on the matter.

"She was at a ceremony for Ares a month or so ago back during Aresia, playing her part as messenger to the Virgin Moon Goddess as usual…" Helios reflected, thinking back. "I only saw her briefly during the ritual, but I suppose it counts as something."

"Last time I saw her was a couple weeks ago…" Endymion said sheepishly, glancing over at Malachite, temporarily removing the hand to forestall any worried comments that would arise if he kept it there too long. His head gave another disgruntled throb.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Malachite inquired after this new piece of information on his little stepsister.

"Totally forgot. She popped up, and I mean LITERALLY popped up, one night. She just landed right on my bed. I was barely awake when she threw herself on me-"

"Endymion, do we REALLY want to hear the details here?" Nephrite asked, eying Malachite who had gone a pale shade of grey.

"Huh? Wha-" realization dawned on the crown prince of Earth. "OH nononononononononono!! It's not what you think!! She started crying on my shoulder about some courtier or other…" Endymion was bright red. The others wondered if any of his coloring might be transferred to Malachite's pallid face.

"So…returning to the original topic…this girl isn't Serenity…" Zoisite said after a long pause.

Everyone nodded in agreement. Jadeite snickered. "Maybe the moon Queen's been a little unfaithful?"

"Now Jed-"

Within one second, while all the others looked toward their newest member with aghast faces, Malachite pinned the garren to the wall. A chill ran over the room, and it iced over. A small group of icicles actually materialized on the window, causing Helios, who had migrated there to sit, to jump up in surprise.

"I've about had it with your disrespect to Luna. There is nothing to hate on their world," Malachite's face was stone cold, a deep well of anger flowing from his eyes.

"You forget my reasons…" Jadeite answered with equal ice to his voice. He held his superior's gaze calmly.

"Your reasons don't apply to the Court of Selene," Malachite replied.

"Now, children," Zoisite stood between the two men defensively. "Play nice. Let's deal with the problem at hand." He motioned towards Rini, who Endymion was covering with a blanket. "We have bigger fish to fry than one another."

"Fish…" Helios mused. "That would be nice for dinner."

The icicles had started melting as Malachite's temper cooled, or actually warmed. A puddle of water occupied the window sill, glistening in the sun. Jadeite stood nearby gently massaging his throat. Mal had a strong grip...

"Endymion…?" Nephrite approached his master and friend cautiously. Endymion had gone deathly pale since his encounter with Rini, his naturally tanned skin bleaching until he was closer to Zoisite's own pallor. Something was definitely wrong, for all he seemed trying to hid it. Even with Rini back on the couch, he seemed to be only growing whiter. Maybe giving the color back to Malachite had been a bad wish...

"Care to share what you saw?" Helios asked from his perch on the end of the study's table, his voice as serious as anyone had ever heard it. Helios was normally annoyingly cheerful…

Endymion looked back at the group who was now approaching him with a mix of worry and curiosity. "I don't think she's from here…" was all he could whisper out at first, his voice trembling with the effort. The garren looked even more worried, if that was possible. He'd been fine a second ago, or rather, more fine.

"That my friend is sort of obvious," Malachite stated calmly. It always took Endymion a minute to get his thoughts in order after one of his aShlin. Obviously, this particular sight had been more scrambled than usual, and changing the topic to one of his best friends, Serenity, obviously hadn't assisted in getting his mind around the sight.

"No," Endymion stood a little unsteadily, one hand on his head as if it ached, "I mean not from… I don't think she's from…NOW."

"Um…" The others all looked at one another. Did any of them get what he meant? Apparently not.

"Not from this time, damn it!" Endymion managed to yell out before he sank down into a chair, head in his hands. He just wished the world would stop spinning so fast and that he would stop feeling like he was standing on a boat being tossed around on the waves. He slowly tried to catch his breath but he felt like something was constricting his chest, preventing him from breathing properly. It was to do with this vision, he knew, but why couldn't he interpret it properly? His head felt like a full orchestra had set up stage in there and the drum section kept beating overly hard on his skull. The others all looked at one another again, this time almost frantically worried. It was a rarity for Endymion to lose patience with himself over the aShlin, and even rarer for him to loose it at all of the guards and Helios at once (individually was a different story). They all left Endymion to silence for a moment. "She was way too overloaded with feelings for a normal child…" Endymion finally whispered.

"I think she's already been disregarded as _normal _Endy_._" Zoisite said hesitantly, eyeing the unconscious pink-haired girl.

"No, she's really a child. She might be older than she looks, but she really is a child in every way that counts. It's just that….either she has an unusually high amount of emotions raging through her, and I mean REALLY unusual….like not possibly high…or she actually FORCED some of her feelings into me, purposefully." Endymion sighed, attempting to puzzle everything together. "But…"

"Forced?" Jadeite asked wonderingly. "But…wouldn't that mean…"

"She had the same power as a Terran Royal? Yes."

It was almost as if a riot broke out in the room. The only semi-calm people were Helios, who seemed to be intently watching Endymion, Endymion, although he really couldn't be counted because he was forced to be by the look Helios was giving him and his small nausea problem, and Jadeite, who was at a loss to the significance of the answer. Having been only recently inducted to the Royal Garren of Crown Prince Endymion, he was the one with the most to learn. His unfamiliarity with the royals of Terra and their powers only added to his naivety. The other three did not seem to be able to stop jabbering and pacing at high speed.

It took a moment for Malachite, Nephrite, and Zoisite to realize they were not going to get any answer by yelling or, for that matter, asking because no one actually HAD the answers. They attempted to sober their franticness, and managed to a small degree. Eventually Helios pulled Zoisite over, sat him in a chair, and sat on him. Nephrite and Malachite followed the example and sat down, trying to catch their breath. "What do you mean, not from this time?" Malachite asked of Endymion, attempting to return to the topic of what the prince had seen. Maybe if they started from the beginning…

"Well…" Endymion looked up into the faces of his silent guard. "I got a bunch of emotions forced into me…pain and fear were the main ones. There was a lot of guilt and worry 

too…but at the same time, there were images too. Images of what Rini was thinking about…" Endymion seemed to strain against some restriction inside to speak about it. A hand absent-mindedly rubbed the constricted spot in his chest as he tried to remember what he had seen and put that into words, which was easier said than done. His breathing was shallow, and Malachite looked at him with obvious concern. He almost sounded like he was choking. Endymion swallowed with some difficulty before he spoke, the image reappearing before him. "Gods, it was a crystalline wasteland…" he said into the floor, more to himself out of revulsion then to his friends.

"Come again?" Malachite asked. The others looked about as mystified.

"I know what I saw was Earth, the familiarity was there and it still felt like the Earth, but I also know for a fact that no place of Earth does or ever has looked like that place… There was huge building at the center, of all crystal, as well as lots of surrounding buildings. They were so huge they seemed to touch the sky, yet were tiny by comparison to the center one, which I presume was a palace. They stood tall and majestic and for a moment, everything sparkled as it if were made of prisms, even though it was obviously night. And then there were a series of explosions and a woman in quartz covering…" Endymion said all in a rush, going deathly pale by the end. He gasped and fell to his knees on the floor as the pain in his chest sharpened, and then dulled away, taking the restriction with it. The floor stopped moving and he felt vaguely like he was still for the first time in minutes. Slowly the throbbing in his head receded, and he was able t o think again. Endymion looked back up at his companions, all of which were kneeling by his side after he collapsed. "That's all I can really piece together…the rest is just way too confusing…most of it was Rini's emotions…"

"There was more?!" Nephrite sank down into the couch opposite Endymion. "You were in contact for only, what, 3 seconds?"

"I know…" Endymion closed his eyes, seemingly exhausted. The garren didn't doubt that he was. The aShlin didn't normally drain him, but to see that much in only three seconds…

"Prince, how about some water?" Malachite asked after a moment, leaving the discussion behind. Jadeite and Zoisite began a hesitant conversation over Venusian versus Jupitanian fruits. Nephrite began to add comments as well, after a moment of silent thoughts to himself. Helios seemed to have glazed over as he stared bewilderedly at Rini's lightly sleeping form.

"Don't worry, Malachite, I'm just tired," Endymion waved his head guard away.

Malachite, in return, bristled. "What makes you think I'm worried?"

"You only call me anything formal when you think I'm sick and are ordering me to bed, when I'm pushing a visiting royal's temper, and when you're just generally worried."

"Well, I'm just thinking…" then he dropped his voice low enough for only Endymion to hear, "what if Jed really was right? About the spy thing at least…yeah, I know, she is only a child, but still. She could be trying to overload you. And the last person we would suspect is a 

kid."

Endymion shook his head slowly. "If only it were as simple as that…She's definitely not a spy and definitely not from this time. I got that off her. If she is a spy, _she_ doesn't know it. She's also a child and of this I am the MOST certain about: she doesn't know her own power."

Malachite drew back. To his credit, he did not look as startled as Endymion thought he would. "A moon child with Terran powers who doesn't know her own strength…you'll never be able to touch her, Endymion. Not without the risk of overloading and draining yourself; you could be sent to an inner purgatory at the slightest whim." Malachite glanced over at the child. "She said she's looking for someone. Obviously, she feels this person has something to do with her mother…Perhaps it is her mother, or someone to save her mother? Maybe she's searching for the woman in quartz, or is her mother the woman in quartz?"

Endymion shook his head in confusion. "It could be. There was a lot of pain with that image. I guess I need to have her pay a visit to Rose as soon as possible…"

"Why?" Malachite looked baffled at the thought. "What can Quartz do?"

"She's a girl, she has a better capacity for emotion," Malachite rolled his eyes, whether at the reference to Rose's femininity or capacity for emotion Endymion wasn't sure. He cracked a smile. "No, Rose is the only one I know of who would be able to teach Rini how to control her power without being overwhelmed herself. At least when it comes to the Terran power."

"And the rest of it?"

"I have no idea…"

Malachite stole another look over at the mysterious child his master and commander had, strangely enough, taken an extreme liking to. The only other child Endymion the adult would even lend a corner of his heart to had been his younger sister. And she had been family…well, there was also Destiny but she was _almost_ family to Endymion. Malachite spared a small smile for his half sister. At three, she had been an angel, at five a mischief-maker, at seven a brewing storm, and now at ten a full-blown unstoppable hurricane.

"Maybe you should let Helios train her?" He suggested. Endymion glanced over at his high priest as well and groaned. Helios was staring intently at the small child, a playful look on his handsome face. Endymion sighed, while unknowingly smiling as well.

"That's all I need…ANOTHER exorcist…"

"Heard that," Helios said indignantly, although his eyes never left Rini.

- - -

And thus a new story begins! The next few chapters should be up soon, I have about 100 pages of this particular story written (though if I'm being honest, that's not even a third of the plans I have in mind ;). Each chapter will be roughly 15-20 pages. A word of warning, the themes may get a bit darker as this draws to a close, because we all knows what happens at the end of the Silver Millenium, and I intend to stick with at least some of the history we know. I did not label this story under humor for a reason. That and, I have found that my own writing tends to dangle sometimes on the darker side of things now, and since I will be finishing this story in my more recent style, obviously... just a word of caution for anyone interesting or perhaps off-put by that.

Thank you!

Moonlight Eternal


	2. Chapter 2

_Different World of a Different Time  
_by Moonlight Eternal

- -

Chapitre 2

"Sir Endymion, where are we going again?" Rini lifted a hand to rub her eyes. She'd only just woken up and suddenly the man she'd recently met was leading her somewhere through the palace. Even if she'd been alert, she'd never have remembered where she was or even where she was heading.

"You can just call me Endymion, Lady Rini," Endymion had been relieved to find that when he had taken Rini's hand no visions had accompanied it. She didn't even seem to recall what had happened before she'd passed out last time. Either that or she didn't want to recall it. Endymion wondered absently whether her powers were only present when she was tired or maybe overwhelmed… He certainly couldn't sense any when she'd woken up, or before when he'd rescued her from the Lake of Ryu. Just in case anything began to surface, though, Malachite was on hand to break the contact and revive him. Helios had put him up to it (not that Malachite needed any persuasion); neither were taking any chances with their prince's life.

"Only if you call me plain Rini. Plain names are better than titles…" Not willing to force her further into description, Endymion decided to answer her questions, though he did make a note of the fact that she wasn't used to being called simple names. That indicated that she was minor nobility at least. So he gave his answer. Well, partially.

"To visit my elder sister. She's the one you met earlier today who was with me….I suppose you didn't exactly MEET her but she's pretty distinguishable-"

"The pretty woman with pink hair?" Rini questioned. An accurate description of Rose, Endymion concluded. Although pretty was stretching that a bit. Rose was not just pretty, she was beautiful. Everyone's first impression of her was gorgeous, pink haired woman with crystal blue eyes, and a figure that most men went gaga over. She looked like the perfect Lady... until she opened her mouth.

"The same," Endymion smiled.

"Do you have any other sisters?" Rini questioned Endymion mildly.

"Yes," a flash of pain passed through Endymion's eyes. "She's younger than me by several years."

"Really? I don't have any brothers or sisters, but I have always wanted a younger sister. Once I asked my papa for one, but he told me to take it up with my mama."

Endymion choked back a laugh. He was beginning to think he would like Rini's father, but a small section of him pitied the man who had to deal with this forward child. After a moment of silence, Endymion glanced down at the little (despite what she thought) girl who was connected to him by his hand. Although her face was blank, her eyes swirled with deep emotions. Endymion felt them beginning to spiral into him as well, just at the mention of both of her parents. His vision began to cloud with an aShlin. While part of him, the sensible yet selfish part he guessed, wanted to drop Rini's hand, his sensitive, curious, and slightly stupid side held it tighter.

Luckily, it was at that point that a familiar sight loomed into view preventing the need for any intervention to stop Endymion from fainting in the corridor. The training center door was solid metal with spell symbols engraved to keep any magic cast within to remain within, and not go bouncing down the corridor to meet its end on some helpless servant carrying a tin of cakes...Not that that had ever happened before. Those seals were very useful when young terran royalty were having trouble controlling their newly awakened powers. "And you're sure she's here?" Malachite spoke up from his thoughtful silence behind the two.

Endymion closed his eyes… "Yes, she's there. Her presence is just beyond the door."

Malachite's face displayed a malicious smile. He looked like a small child watching his best friend fall into a trap that would force him into taking a bath. "Malachite…" Endymion recognized the face, having seen it many times for many different reasons. He had been on the receiving end of it more times than one…

"Yes, yes, I know, best behaviour," despite his answer, the smile widened as Endymion opened the door.

"Rose?" he called out almost cautiously. Malachite, however, swept right past Endymion striding confidently into the room with his arms wide spread and voice booming strongly.

"QUARTZ, my dear, my darling, my treasure, my life, how are you on this fine example of a day?" Rini did not see them thrown, but it was quite obvious Malachite had, when he caught two roses, in one hand near his throat and another in front of his groin. "Tsk tsk tsk," Malachite shook his head in mock disappointment, handing the two perfectly bloomed pink roses to Rini carefully. She noticed they were quite sharp on the tips. "Quartz, my love, you've lost your touch. You used to at least graze my cheek…"

"That's very brave of you to say, considering you are weaponless where as I have an endless supply, ready to be hurled at you. Too much more taunting on your part and you'll never reproduce even if there was a poor girl stupid enough to fall in love with you…" a girl in the center of the large training hall spat out indignantly.

"Such idle threats do nothing…" Malachite sighed sadly. "Your sharp tongue has cut all the grief and sense out of me."

"What are you doing here?" The girl, no young woman, asked venomously.

"Just accompanying your most illustrious brother and his beautiful new companion here, Quartz. It was nice seeing you again…" Malachite waved and blew a kiss as he exited. Rose threw something out of the door after him. "Missed me…" Malachite's voice echoed faintly as the door shut.

Rose cursed under her breath, then turned towards Endymion. It was the first good look Rini had gotten of her. She was a tall girl, not much shorter than Endymion, and obviously in top physical condition. Her hair was pink, like Rini's, but the coloring was slightly redder. It was 

pulled into a high ponytail at the back of her head. Her eyes were a shade lighter than Endymion's were, although they smiled in the same way. She wore a black, plain tunic that showed off her adult body nicely. Her lips were also quite pink, although at that moment they were forming a deep frown. Rini got the impression she did not like Malachite…

"Endy, I _really_ am serious. I am going to KILL-" Rose's eyes, for the first time, found her younger brother in the room, as well as Rini. "Is this the little girl from earlier?" the woman's eyes looked questioningly at Endymion, who smiled and nodded. Rini clutched him tighter as the woman's attention fully focused on her, but he gently pushed her forwards toward his sister.

"I'm Rose-Quartz," she knelt in front of the short Rini, took both of the child's hands into her own, and bent her head to them in formal greeting. "I am honored to welcome you to Gaia's Palace."

Rini faintly remembered this form of greeting, so she too bowed her head in the ancient formal greeting her father had made her learn. "I am Rini and I humbly receive your hospitality." She looked up into Rose-Quartz's smiling face and was faintly reminded of a member of her mother's court, Queen Lita of Jupiter. She had the same aura of muscle and strength.

"What's with the look you're giving me, Small Lady Rini?" Rose-Quartz asked, smiling a little. Rini was brought out of thought over the surprise of the name she had been called. How did Rose know that was her nickname?

Endymion, looking on fondly, though he expected Rini to give the same blatant reply about her size versus name status he himself had received. He was somewhat surprised himself when Rini's serious face lightened a bit. Obvious 'Little One and 'Small Lady' held different meanings for her…He tucked that piece of information away too.

"It's just that you remind me of a close friend of my mother's, Lady Rose-Quartz." Rini let her hands drop to her sides and clutched at the skirt of her blue outfit.

"Just call me Rose, please," Rose had grimaced at her own name. "Not even Lady Rose. I get Lady this and Lady that from all the self-righteous pricks of courtiers trying to catch my eye…" a thundercloud rolled onto Rose's face at the thought. Rini swore that it darkened a little outside.

"Rose." Endymion jumped into the conversation as his sister's face visibly clouded.

"Endymion," Rose turned to look solely at her brother. Her tone was serious. "NEVER let your daughter be swamped by suitors," she stared darkly. "And never try and force her to be something she doesn't want to be. i.e. a wife."

"I'll try to remember that if I have a daughter," Endymion said, somewhat taken aback. He had known she had been having difficulties, but… "Hasn't he…?" Rose shook her head. Rini felt the slight sting of sadness lingering in the air but the clouds outside rolled back.

"Well, anyway," Rose planted a large smile on her face, "What brings you both to see me?"

"Multiple things…" Endymion trailed off, unsure of where to begin. He glanced down at the main problem again, once more to find Rini eying the instruments in the training room with great interest. "Rini, you can have a look around her if you want," he offered, releasing the hand he had automatically taken when he had moved to her side. Rini looked up at him with a mixture of emotions. She realized that Endymion meant to speak with his sister semi-privately, and she knew whatever they were talking about would be interesting. Whether to eavesdrop or not was her dilemma; on one hand, Endymion was most likely going to talk about her. But then, she had sighted a LiKana Board at the far end of the training center…

Choices.

As Endymion and Rose watched the pink haired child scamper off, both smiled wistfully; Eternal would be just a couple of years older than her…

"So," Rose tossed a fencing sword to her younger brother and took the beginning stance, "where's she from?"

"You always start with the hard questions," Endymion grumbled. He checked the sword for balance, exchanged it for another, and moved into the ready position in time to block Rose's first swing.

"I didn't think it too difficult myself…" Rose said thoughtfully. "Obviously your intellect just isn't up to the challenge."

"It's actually quite complicated, Rose. I have to wonder if she's even from this time."

"From this time? You mean she time travelled to get here?"

"I think so. It would explain why she seems so clueless about a lot of things here."

"So you're certain?"

"Almost. The real question there is whether she is from the past or the future. Everything else about her is pretty much a guess. She's…well, what I know POSITIVELY WITHOUT A DOUBT is that…she had aShlin."

"WHAT?!" Rose dropped her sword and Endymion quickly had to change his sword's path before it sliced through his sister's lowered guard. He quickly glanced over at Rini. The hall was deserted, so he was not too worried about anyone overhearing them. But Rini was within hearing distance…

He spied her playing with the LiKana board some ways away, enraptured by it.

"Endymion," Rose had recovered, but her voice still trembled. "That's not-"

"Oh believe me, it's possible. She almost overwhelmed me while she was doing it."

"I didn't think it was possible to overwhelm you. You've got the most power ever recorded."

"Yeah, well…" Endymion went on to tell his sister all about the events of the earlier day, while she'd been off doing who-knew-what ("I was training to beat up all those men knocking down my doors since my incompetent little brother can't seem to get his act together!"

"I resent that you think me being the crown prince should come second to your-"

"It comes second to everything else…"

"It does not!"

"Yes it does."

"No it doesn't!"

"Fine, I'll back down for now, but it's still at your expense. Maybe your being crown prince does not come second to everything. It is not more important than moi, but its OBVIOUSLY more important than that incompetent, stuck up, arrogant, male, chauvinist, stupid, idiotic, best-friend of yours. I swear he-"

("You're straying for the subject, Rose.").

In the end, his sister looked as if she'd just watched the Queen of the Moon herself take a stumble down the stairs (which was far from likely to ever occur as a) the Queen of the Moon didn't stumble, and b) both Endymion and Rose weren't likely to go to the moon any time soon as the Earth and Moon weren't QUITE on the best of speaking terms). "What do you suggest?" her brother asked, relieved that he was not alone in thinking all of this somewhat unnatural.

"Suggest? What can I suggest?! You cannot let her out of your SIGHT Endymion! It's quite obvious we need to get her an adviser, teach her before she blows something up-"

"But how can we convince her to stay here? Just because she found her way here does not mean she will want to stay. She could just as easily find her way out, I'd imagine."

"You'll have to talk to her."

"Me?! Why me, why not you?! You're a girl!"

"Endymion-" Rose stopped mid-informative sentence as a loud explosion erupted from the side of the room a small child had once inhabited.

- -

"Hark! Is that Endymion I hear on approach?" Malachite called from the couch as he heard trudging feet open the study door later that afternoon. He didn't bother to turn around as Endymion did not deny that was who it was. "How was your visit with dear Quartzy?" he continued in the same sing-song voice.

"What, Endymion's back?" Zoisite asked, emerging from behind a stack of books followed by Helios. "Good, we have LOADS to review before the meet-" He trailed off as his eyes roamed up and down the new arrivals.

"What happened to you two?" Helios asked bluntly, eyeing both Endymion and Rini's semi-charred state. "When did Rose learn to use those Martian flame powers? I specifically TOLD Lady Gupta to keep her away from that section of the library, it's bad enough having poor inexperienced Jed…"

"As far as I know, Martian powers are still escaping my elder sibling," Endymion muttered. "Although I will add another small impish pink-haired person to the list of those who aren't allowed near dangerous powers…" Endymion could not help but glare down a bit at Rini, who was counting the number of fibres in the carpet.

"So…" Zoisite attempted to coax Endymion into a little bit of an explanation by using hand gestures.

"I'll tell you later. For now, I can't seem to find Lady Marganta. Everyone has been steering me in different directions and I SWEAR that woman is avoiding me. Do YOU know where she is?"

"I last saw her in the 2nd Hall," Zoisite said, still attempting to overpower the look of utter confusion that only crossed his face once a year.

"Your information," Endymion slumped down next to Malachite on the couch, "is outdated…" He glared at Malachite as his older friend brushed some imaginary ashes off his shoulder. Malachite gave him a quirky smile back. Rini cautiously climbed up into the love seat nearby. Endymion, after a moment, glanced over at her and smiled tiredly. "Don't worry, Rini, I'm not unhappy with you or anything." Rini glared at him sceptically before she returned to twiddling her thumbs. Endymion sighed heavily. How in the world was he supposed to win her trust if he lost his temper so eas-

A pair of luminous turquoise eyes appeared in front of Endymion a mere couple of inches from his own dark cobalt. "What's this latest development?" Helios asked curiously, though he attempted to make it sound as if he were as indifferent to the topic as to the weather.

"Don't DO that Helios…" Endymion said, looking to his left to find equally large glacial ice eyes boring into him. Malachite had leant in too. Groaning, Endymion looked back towards Rini.

"Oh come now, tell us the story," Malachite joined in. Even though he wasn't looking at him, Endymion could just TELL he was smiling like an idiot about this.

"You are in FAR too good of a mood, Malachite. And say something without Nephrite or Jadeite? Um no, I'll wait until they return from wherever…"

"They were debating which fruit tasted better," Malachite stated disinterestedly, turning back to the book in his lap and masking his face with his normal, indifferently serious visage.

"I'll bet you anything they're down in the kitchen…" Zoisite added while studying his fingernails.

"Now, why are we going to look for Mrs. Marganta?" Helios asked, stretching his arms over his head tiredly.

"'We? WE weren't going anywhere…" Endymion moaned as he forced his already overtired body to stand. "Rini, you can stay here if you want…"

From the fearful look he got after she glanced over at Malachite and then Zoisite, lastly Helios, Endymion guessed she would be accompanying him. He sighed heavily; so much for a time saving search. He wished he knew why she was scared of them… yeah, Malachite was huge and looked like an ice cube most of the time (on the days he hadn't tortured Rose), and Zoisite could be a little intimidating at times…when he was overworking for the Council, but she hadn't seen him like that yet. Nephrite was really just a big teddy bear once you got to know him and forgot about the odd obsession with astrology and hair ribbons, and no one could call Helios scary… but then again, he had wanted to exorcise her… And Jadeite…well, Jadeite HAD set the furniture on fire that one time that did not look too good on his record. All in all, Endymion sighed again. 'Never mind.'

Helios noticed the looks Rini gave, or at least the look he received. Clapping his hands together, he exclaimed, "Endy, how about we come too!"

It was not _really_ a question, so Endymion did not bother to object. What would be the point anyway? Even if he WON an argument, which only happened when Endymion was angry to start, Helios would curse him tonight at the ceremony, a curse that would undoubtedly last for a week. This curse would of course lead Endymion to finding himself in the worst possible scenarios imaginable for what would seem an ENDLESS week. He could hardly think of what had happened the last time Helios had cursed him because Endymion had eaten the last piece of bread before Helios reached it. And that had only been a day long summons…

- -

"But I don't WANT to take a walk!"

"Oh Gods…" Endymion muttered.

"I didn't know anyone could WHINE so much!!" Malachite blocked his ears.

"Zoisite, quiet down, you'll wake Rini up!" Helios shushed the shorter guard.

"But why do _I_ have to come too??"

"Think of it as your yearly trip outdoors…" Malachite said sarcastically.

"You know just as well as I that that is NOT true. Today was my only _real_ day off for the next month and I was _going_ to spend it-"

"With a good book," Endymion, Malachite, and Helios joined in. "Or 10. We know."

"You seem to forget that this is our only day off too. Well, except for Helios," Malachite spared a glare for the High Priest.

"Hey, I don't get to sleep half the nights before my 'days off' and consequently spend all of them sleeping so quit patronizing me…"

"And even putting everything aside, you could use a good walk, Zoi," Endymion put in, hushing the other two with a glare. "You don't want to risk getting pudgey. Besides, we need all the eyes we can get. Lady Marganta seems to be avoiding us…"

The entourage had already looked through half the palace (as well as asked half the servants) in an attempt to find the Chief Housemaid who was also given the administrative position of assigning rooms to visiting noblemen, ladies, and other such guests. And yet she eluded them still. So Malachite and Helios decided, as soon as Rini fell asleep, to take a walk outside through the West Gardens off their portion of the palace. Zoisite found himself dragged along, and Endymion's exhaustion had not yet reached the point where he would be crazy enough to argue.

"Although, Malachite," Helios began again, "since Endymion IS skirting almost all of his duties as Crown Prince, isn't he technically always getting days off?"

"Good point, Exorcist," Malachite affirmed, smiling as Helios' own smile twitched at the corners. "Endy does get the most days off as he never really works…"

Endymion bitterly took to silence. It was not as if he could really argue. He did happen to be avoiding his soon-to-be kingship. He had spent his entire life both looking forward to and dreading the day the Earthly powers he had received through his blood would awaken fully and he would be crowned king. Having just recently celebrated his 20th birthday at the beginning of Ceresum two months prior, that day drew nearer and nearer. The chilling breath of responsibility crept up on him and even in the strong autumn sun, a shiver coursed down Endymion's spine. All he could do, for now, was avoid it; avoid it until he could deal with it.

"So," Zoisite's tired voice pierced Endymion's misty mind, "why are we searching for her in the first place?"

"Who?" Endymion was at a loss.

"…Lady Marganta," Zoisite answered after a pause.

"Isn't that obvious?" Helios pointed at Rini, asleep and riding piggy back on Endymion.

"What?" Zoisite asked, confused. Malachite and Helios, in turn, sighed heavily.

"For all those books you read, you can sometimes be incredibly dense." Before Zoisite bristled too much Malachite continued. "This child is from the future, or at least from what Endymion can tell. She somehow ended up here with us, which already begins to seem like too much of a coincidence to me. She happens to be a descendant of the Terran Royal family as well as a Lunarian Royal. We can either let her go on her way, alone, throughout Terra to surely be kidnapped or go hungry or, even worse, be discovered by an enemy who would just LOVE to prey on an unsuspecting powerful maiden. OR we can watch over her, train her, and help her. Hmm, _really_ difficult choice there."

He shouldered past Helios to walk in front of him on the narrow section of the path. On both sides of them 20 foot box hedges framed the path, indicating the entrances to the two palace mazes. As they emerged from the tight passage, they entered the rose gardens, the pride and joy of the palace. Roses of all colors and designs grew, some standing in artistic positions, some winding up trellises to achieve shapes, even more growing over archways that provided shade along the path. Fountains like the one Rini had fallen in earlier during the search were scattered throughout to accent the simplistic beauty of a bed of roses.

"The sarcasm is unnecessary, Malachite. And anyway, have you even discussed this with the child?" Zoisite asked, annoyed at having to have things explained to him rather than doing the explaining.

"Her name is Rini, not 'the child', and no, I haven't yet. For now, she needs somewhere to sleep, even if just for tonight. Whatever method she used for travelling was physically gruelling -this is the second time she has gone out cold; she's too old to be taking two naps a day. Which is why I'm searching for Lady Marganta."

"Endymion, had the thought crossed your mind that maybe giving Rini her own room four stories up in the palace in a corridor she's never even seen might be a slight mistake?" The silver haired priest gave his prince an indeterminable look.

"…I don't think I'm following, Helios," Endymion said, stopping short on the path through the rose bush maze they were travelling on.

"Well, it's just a thought, but maybe putting her in an unfamiliar bed chamber might frighten her. I mean, what if YOU woke up in the middle of the night in there? Wouldn't you be scared, Endymion?" The little sub group congregated in the middle of the trail.

"I see what you're saying…but then what do you suggest I do?"

Helios, in response, shrugged.

"You could have her sleep in your chambers…" Malachite suggested thoughtfully. Zoisite looked horror-struck at the thought. "Mind OUT of the gutter, Zoi! She's FIVE!"

"Whoa, Malachite has a five year old girlfriend? When did this happen?" Jadeite and Nephrite happened upon the other five and joined the group. Their own quarrel seemed to be settled as both of them had sticky fruit juice on their cheeks and around their mouths.

"Did you guys miss the etiquette lesson about tidying up?" Zoisite muttered snidely, taking out a skilfully hidden book

"I'll forget you mentioned RINI being my girlfriend," Malachite answered through clenched teeth.

"Well sorry for living…" Jadeite responded sarcastically.

"So…" Nephrite began, glancing around the vicinity the others had stopped in. "What're we doing?"

"Deciding where Rini will sleep." Endymion said shortly, shifting the weight of the child on his back.

"Did you ask Lady Marganta?" Helios, Malachite, Endymion, and even Zoisite glanced up from his book and glared in response. "…Okay, from the all around internal grumbling, I'll take that as both a 'no and a 'we've moved on from that plan.' Would anyone like to offer to help me see the light?" Nephrite looked around.

"Basically, Rini's going to be sleeping in Endymion's chamber, with Endymion on the couch," Helios said indifferently after a moment. "We'll search for Lady Marganta some other day, after we explain things to Rini."

"Things?" Jadeite glanced around, no more in the light than a cave. "What things?"

"And who said I was giving up _MY_ bed?!" Endymion asked. "Why not yours Master Problem Solver?!"

"She likes you better, Endymion," Helios answered simply, admiring a rose to his right. Endymion felt like strangling him.

"But I have meetings tomorrow!" Endymion turned to Zoisite in desperation. "Aren't you ALWAYS complaining about my tardiness? I'll be even later if I'm babysitting."

"Endymion, I fail to see how you can be later than showing up four hours after it's finished. Do not look to me for sympathy. Maybe if you sleep on the couch, or as the case may be do not sleep at all, you will actually make it in time to hear the closing address. At least you won't sleep all the way through it." Endymion mumbled death threats in Zoisite's general 

direction. "Besides," Zoisite continued, consulting his schedule and ignoring Endymion's rising tones, "you don't _have_ any meetings tomorrow. They were today. Although you do need to go over some things with me for the High Council meeting..."

"That's not for another week!" Endymion cried, sounding very much like a child. "Why must you always make me-"

"The new students have questions!" Nephrite and Jadeite were waving their hands around to get some attention. "Why in the Goddess's name is Rini sleeping with Endymion?!"

"…didn't we just go through this?" Malachite muttered tiredly, collapsing on a conveniently placed stone bench in the alcove opposite. "OW!" He leapt up. "I just sat on a ROSE! Who leaves a rose on a seat?!"

The other's ignored him. Malachite was always prone to bad luck outdoors. No one was quite sure why, though Endymion had a sneaky suspicion Helios had cursed him as well, though permanently. The way Helios sometimes guiltily looked the other way when Mal's luck galloped over him had also led Endymion to believe Helios had no idea how to lift this curse.

"Well, couldn't we just solve her little problem and send her home?" Nephrite voiced for himself and Jadeite.

"All in a day's work!" Jadeite concurred. The others looked at one another.

"Endymion, you explain." Zoisite joined Malachite on the bench.

"Why me? Why is it ALWAYS me?!"

"Because in this one instance, you actually know the most. And don't whine, you're sounding like Zoi."

"Hey," Zoisite glowered.

"Explanation. Now, please." Jadeite was interested.

"You know the gist of it. Rose confirmed she had Terran power, is not from this time era, and that she has no control over aShlin. And after I told her what happened with Luna's crest, she said, and I quote, "don't let her out of your sight." I took that as meaning we are keeping Rini, at least for a time. And no sooner did Rose say that then our delightful pink haired five year old blew up the LiKana board."

"Pardon?" Helios blinked a couple of times.

"Yeah, I think I missed that last bit…" Zoisite said, dropping his book onto the muddy path and not bothering to rescue it.

"She shattered all eight crystals," Endymion reiterated.

"WHAT?!" Malachite upturned the bench he and Zoisite had been sitting on. Luckily, Zoisite had jumped up along with him so he did not become a comrade to his book in the mud. "Oh Goddess…" Zoisite turned a sickly grey color. Helios, too, had lost all color from his face as well as the ability for speech.

"May the heavens protect us," Nephrite whispered to the sky.

"Um…guys, I know I should get his, but would anyone mind too terribly to review this for me?" Jadeite asked meekly. The other three garren, their Crown Prince, and High Priest goggled at the clueless man who stood before them. Everyone was now at a loss for words. "Sorry! I'm NEW at this!" Jadeite said to his defense as the others loomed over him.

"Guys, please, can we talk about this some other time?" Endymion asked, having the suspicious nagging feeling that he would be the one to explain everything to Jed. Brilliant fighter Jed was, but he was so oblivious about some of the most obvious and household objects…

"Why?" Helios helped Endymion after he regained some semblance of composure. "Dinner isn't for another 2 turns," he motioned towards the garden hourglass some feet away from them. "I would think 2 hours would be enough to give him a crash course, Endy."

"I actually have a couple reasons: 1) I don't want Rini to wake up to us talking about her, and 2) my back is KILLING me!"

Malachite glanced up at the sleeping child. "I'd say she's out of it, Endymion. Nothing can stir a child as sound asleep as she is except the prospect of an adventure, and I _think_ that she's had enough of those for one day...I have found that any experience with Quartz qualifies as one. That's just this simple garren's opinion, however. In respect to your back," he grinned mischievously, "you could use the extra endurance."

Endymion moaned. "Fine, but let's at least go back inside. Standing in the middle of the walkway isn't exactly comfortable."

"You ARE as bad as Zoi," Jadeite said, almost in awe.

"I am oblivious to the humor in that," Zoisite said, storming ahead of the snickering Malachite.

- -

Endymion had always thought the palace more abandoned than teaming with interesting people. Why was it that he was always wrong at the worst times? He swore to himself as he lay Rini down gently on his own bed that if one more countess asked him who was his new fling, or one more nobleman asked him when the wedding was he would throw himself off his own balcony. His balcony overlooked the rose garden; it was bound to be a very thorny death.

The twenty year old prince sighed as an old vizier would if he were advising the Solar System's worst ruler in history. Stretching his aching back quietly, he looked without hesitation at the little girl. Asleep, she was the most adorable child he had ever beheld. This said a lot as he had been assigned to watch over his younger sister, younger sister's best friend, and even Serenity when she was still a child, all while they'd slept. He had to admit to himself that all four were close, but Rini in front of him, framed by sweet rose pink hair in a nest of midnight blue, qualified as angelic.

He wondered if she was anything like Destiny, the other angelic sleeper…or Serenity. They might LOOK like innocent angels but-

"Endymion, are you counting how many times she breathes or something?" Jadeite whispered harshly, impatience evident in his voice. Ignoring him for a moment, Endymion brushed a stray strand out of Rini's face and then exited his own dark bed chamber.

Endymion joined the entourage outside in the hall, purposely leaving the door open. If Rini were to wake up, he and the others would surely hear two rooms away. Everyone resumed their original seats in the study: Endymion on the sofa, Malachite leaning coolly up against the wall, Jadeite directly across from Endymion and watching him intently, as if the crown prince were going to sprout wings before his very eyes. Helios sat on the table, Nephrite and Zoisite at the table (although all three had to shove a pile of books out of the way to see the others). All of their eyes were watching Endymion, whose eyes were closed. After a moment, and no one had spoken a work, Endymion peeked out of one eye.

"What?" he asked nervously, sitting up. He hadn't done anything wrong had he? He mentally ran over the last couple of hours and came up blank. Then he remembered the LiKana board.

"Well?" Jadeite asked expectantly.

Endymion turned to Malachite. "Why do I have to explain this again?"

"Just do it," Malachite said, waving a hand.

"Strange…I'm the prince and yet I'm being ordered to do everything," Endymion grumbled, standing up and heading towards one of the mahogany armoires towards the far end of the study.

"You understand it the best," Nephrite said simply as Endymion scrambled through the large cupboard.

"Additionally you are the only one of use who can demonstrate how to USE the entire LiKana set," Helios added when Endymion returned with a circular board.

"What are you talking about Helios?! You have just as much experience with LiKana as 

me!"

"Ah, but mine's too balanced to make a proper demonstration," Helios smiled slyly.

"You just want to sleep…" Endymion muttered as he set the round board down on the table in front of Jadeite and took his seat again.

"Okay!" Jadeite exclaimed looking over the unfamiliar set. "WHAT is this and WHAT does it do?"

"You've really never seen one of these?" Endymion asked, raising an eyebrow. "How EVER did your teachers control your powers? Well, on second thought…" Every eye in the room turned to a singed corner of the chair Jadeite sat in and shivered.

"Here goes nothing…" Endymion said, fearing this was going to be the most boring thing he'd ever been forced to explain. "This is a LiKana board," he gestured to the thing he'd set down on the table. The board itself was white marble, carved circular and smoothed. Seemingly floating a couple inches above the board were eight differently colored stones. Five, a green emerald, blue sapphire, lustrous pyrite, creamy pearl, and red ruby rested as the points of a pentagram, which was engraved below on the board. "These," Endymion gestured to the five, "are the Elementals. Each one channels a specific power." Endymion placed a hand first over the left stone of the pentagram's points, the pearl. In return, the stone lit up. "Wind." Endymion's hand flowed counter-clockwise to the right. The blue sapphire also began to glow. "Water." The hand then travelled next to that towards the ruby. "Fire." Moving to the pyrite, he spoke as it also lit up, "Metal. And lastly," the green gem at the top point of the pentagram grew bright without Endymion's hand. "Earth." With all five of the elemental stones sparkling brightly, Endymion looked up to Jadeite who was staring in awe at the bright colors like a small child.

"Now for the inner circle," Endymion began again, going back to the board. He motioned to the three stones that were inside the inner pentagon within the pentagram at the center, and on cue they rose higher than the outer stones and began to slowly circle. "Serenity." A silver tinted crystal lit up mildly. "Prosperity," a golden crystal brightened the room, shining equally as much as the Earth stone. "And lastly Destruction." The black obsidian stone, in response, seemed to suck the small bit of light out of Serenity, and prosperity dimmed to almost nothing.

"What was…" Jadeite looked up at Endymion, who withdrew his hand and the board returned to normal, or the state it began in.

"You can keep that going for as long as your powers hold out," Endymion said, sitting back, enjoying the startled look of awe on Jedite's face.

"Yes," Helios spoke up, jumping down from the table, "but only if you HAVE all those powers."

"What do you mean?" Jadeite looked thoroughly confused at this statement. Helios glanced over to Endymion again, who sighed and looked over at another garren.

"Zoisite?" Reluctantly, Zoisite set down what he'd been reading and drew nearer to the board.

"Now," Endymion continued in lecture format, "Zoisite is a Sorcerer of water, Master of wind. In other words, Zoisite has the highest ranking for his power with the element water, and the second highest with wind. The levels go Apprentice, Journeyman, Mage, Adept, Master, Sorcerer or Sorceress." Zoisite repeated the motions Endymion had made over the 5 pentagram jewels. However, in Zoisite's case, the sapphire lit up as exquisitely as emerald had for Endymion, the pearl shining second brightest. The other three stones, though, were only dimly lit. The center stones only rose but did not lighten at all.

"Um…" Jadeite's brow furrowed in thought.

"I, as a Sorcerer of water and a Master of wind, control to an extent their powers. However, Fire, Metal, and Earth are not in my blood. Because the elements are all linked, I can only subtly light the ruby, pyrite, and emerald stones. Enough to use spells with small influences from those elements, but not enough to be considered Apprentice level. The same goes to almost any person with magical talent. A rare few," Zoisite eyed Endymion, "have power enough to light them all. And only sovereigns have the power to light the internal circle. Well," Zoisite added after a moment's thought and an ehem from Helios's side of the room, "sovereigns and the higher Those who Serve." Helios gave a small mock bow from his position on the table, an amusing feat as he was still sitting.

"I understand the symbolism now, but what exactly does this board _do_?" Jed absently reached towards the board, but then snapped his fingers back with a guilty look on his face, wondering if he'd perhaps done something he wasn't supposed to.

"Go ahead." Endymion pushed the board a little closer to Jed as Zoisite returned to his seat at the table. He'd didn't, however, return to his book. "We already know what your main power is, but trying it'll give you an idea of how the LiKana works."

"So, um, what do I do?" Jadeite blushed slightly whilst asking this.

"Well, first you shouldn't expect anything to happen just yet. To properly use LiKana, you have to become the master of your own power. And by that I don't mean the Master rank, although that would help come to think of it..." Endymion looked towards Jadeite. The youngest member of the Garren looked at him a little fearfully. It was a little much, Endymion conceded, to ask him to absorb everything so quickly.

Nephrite approached the board, and Endymion sat back in order to allow the other room. "Jed, I know you learned the art of meditation." Jadeite nodded adamantly. "In the beginning, LiKana requires extensive meditation. You have to find your inner power, and learn to manipulate it to your will. But to begin, we must focus on that flame of your soul and just find the path to it each time with more speed. To use it, you must-"

"For now, Jed, let's keep it simple. Neph, would you like to teach our young Jed how to use LiKana himself? Whenever you two have a couple spare minutes?" Helios broke in, eying the clock anxiously.

"Sure," Nephrite gave Jed a rare smile of encouragement.

"Now," Endymion came back, realizing this was his cue to continue his lecture, "Jed, you wondered what exactly can be done with the LiKana?" Jadeite nodded, but before Endymion could open his mouth, Malachite came in.

"Many things. It reads your power from the string of fate tied to your finger. Most teachers use one to identify a pupil's gifts. In the beginning, as an untrained child, only your main power will light up. Later, as you're taught more about your specific gift, as well as about the threads and such, it can be used to see your potential powers as you branch out. Once you become skilled enough in multiple elements, the board can be used for mental or physical sparring, the stone of your choice giving you energy to fuel attacks. There are other uses of the LiKana, those are just the main ones."

"When Endymion first tested his powers, he nearly broke that specific LiKana board," Zoisite smirked. "He was allowed to keep it as a memento. Well, that and no one says no to the Crown Prince."

"Haha Zoi..."

"Wait...Endymion, you ALMOST broke it? But Rini DID break it?!" Realization struck Jadeite.

"Destruction of the LiKana board means a couple of things, or just one of a couple. A person can have destructive powers, but this only affects the board if you can reach the inner circle. Destroying the board means that not only can you access the center, but you can destroy it. In other words, you have enough power to overwhelm the board. On a scale type of example, having the ability to get to the inner circle signifies you political standing in our society. Everyone has a shadow of destructive power, even if it's not in their nature to use it. Power is corruptive, even if the user isn't. Destroying the LiKana board is destroying serenity and prosperity. You're destroying your society. In our case, our world."

"Then Rini-" Jadeite began wildly.

"Has an equal amount of power everywhere in the circle. She could prosper, cause serenity, or destruction. It could be a balance of all three. The destruction of the LiKana board was due to confusion in Rini. Which just pushes us to train her even more," Endymion said. "To help stop her gravitating towards destruction."

"How do you know it was a balance?" Nephrite spoke up from a worried silence.

"I don't really," Endymion admitted. "It's more of a hunch."

"Endymion," Malachite began, his voice escalating in pitch, "are you SURE you can-"

"Rose already agreed with me." Endymion stated. "Besides, she'll be the one to teach her."

"I don't-" Malachite began to argue but was interrupted by a scream. At first, no one moved a muscle.

"Rini!" Endymion finally said in realization.

Every one of them attempted to switch their brains into responsive motion. The Royal Garren, High Priest, and Crown Prince of Earth all rushed out of the study and two doors down to the child they were sure had just awakened.

- -

The next 4 chapters should be up within hours...as to the following ones, I'm not too sure!  
Thank you for reading!

Moonlight Eternal


	3. Chapter 3

_Different World of a Different Time  
_by Moonlight Eternal

- -

Chapitre 3

Rini was sitting up in the unfamiliar bed, wiping tears out of her rose-red eyes. She had not screamed because she didn't recognize her surroundings. On the contrary, now that she looked at them she rather liked the darkness. Most children couldn't stand it, but the dark blue hues all around her faintly reminded her of one of her favorite rooms of her palace. Her father adored the midnight sky, and so did she. In turn, she adored the color of midnight. The observatory tower he had so fondly made use of over the years had become almost a secret hide away for the King and Rini. Sometimes, late at night, when Rini was sure every soul in the palace but her father's slept, she hurry to that room. Endymion always worked there in the late nights. And even if he had an early morning council to attend, even if he desperately needed time to think on a pressing matter of the kingdom, he always welcomed Rini's presence without a moment's hesitation. Under the open skylight, or even on the roof, together they had spent hours admiring the constellations and planets, while Endymion told Rini stories of ancient gods and goddesses, heroes and heroines, until her eyes became heavy with sleep and she drifted away into dreams.

And all around Rini now, in this room, she felt the familiarity of those dark nights on the roof with her father rushing back to her. She could almost see the stars blinking around her, almost smell the fresh scent of her Papa... More tears came, and she felt those memories, and the ones she'd just relived in a dream, pressing against the back of her mind painfully. She shut her eyes, attempting to block them out.

Loud footfalls alerted her to the presence of others. Opening her eyes in mild curiosity, she found herself surrounded by six men, their eyes all like those of worried elder brothers, even those she'd held as the most stoic. Endymion approached her side, sitting next to her wrapping his strong arms around her. Rini wondered faintly if this was his chamber... His finger wiped a stray tear away.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Rini shuddered at the question, then nodded. It was more than a dream, though, she heard that nasty part of her say. It is what you left... Rini clamped her eyes shut again. 'Please go away...please go away!' she begged of those thoughts, those words, those truths.

Helios drew up next to Endymion, who Rini now furiously clung to. In an odd way, Endymion had bonded with the child, that was the most obvious conclusion anyone could draw. This little girl, who'd fallen into a lake (from where she came from or how she'd managed to land in the center was anyone's guess) just a couple a turns before...this child had managed to find a way into the Prince of the Earth's heart. That took more than a mysterious power...

As such, the High Priest almost felt hesitant to ask. But he shook the nurturing and kind part away from himself for a moment. If it was for the safety of one he loved... "What happened?" he asked seriously. Rini opened her eyes, brimming with fear and hopelessness, almost out of shock. Helios winced inwardly. Whatever this was, he was sure it hurt her...Despite himself, that caring part of him came back to say 'Satisfied?'

After a moment, the mood surrounding the child changed. She glared at the High Priest defiantly, as if to ask him what right he had to pry. 'She's right, you know...' 'Be quiet!' he shot 

back at himself.

"Helios," Endymion said, picking Rini up, "is that really necessary?" Of course, he had to make things difficult. Helios gave his prince and best friend a withering look.

"Yes," he stated coldly and simply. Endymion set Rini back down. If Helios looked that mean, then it must be important, he told himself. But still...he disliked that uncaring look his High Priest was giving the young girl who lay shivering in his arms. "Rini," Helios kneeled down to look her straight in the eye. Rini stared back at him with an indifferent, stone-like face. "Please tell me what your dream was about."

Suspicion crept onto the stone. "Why do you want to know about a child's nightmare?" she asked with skill, voicing everyone in the room's question. Helios had to admire her discipline. To be able to control herself enough to sound like this was a discussion about the latest fashion when she was obviously this upset was quite an achievement, especially at her age. It also pointed to training in politics and diplomacy… Helios tucked that away as another clue to her identity.

"Curiosity," Helios shrugged and continued. "And...a lot can be said," a misty, unfamiliar look came into his turquoise eyes, "about the past and future from a dream. _Especially_ a child's dream. Children know more than even they give themselves credit for."

"..." Rini was glaring at Helios with a fervent dislike. Tears fell down her scowling face, and then it crumbled. Endymion glanced quickly down at his High Priest, worried. Usually, tears would receive an immediate reaction from the priest. After all, he was probably the most nurturing and emotionally in tune of all the garren and he. Even combined, Helios was probably more sensitive. So how could he stare this child a quarter of his age down, with absolutely no emotion in his amazingly cool eyes? This was the side of Helios no one had seen. Endymion was beginning to suspect he would severely dislike it.

"My mama..." Rini finally sobbed out. "She...she..."

With a small bit of satisfaction coming from somewhere, Endymion saw Helios strain to stay neutral. "You don't have to tell us about your mother, Rini." Helios spoke, the slightly soothing tone back as he reached out to place a hand on her shoulder.

"That was what my dream was about though!" Rini yelled, knocking his hand away. The hurt that flashed briefly through Helios's eyes was nothing compared to the frustration Rini felt with the question and that she knew she should answer. "And it's all my fault!!" Even Jadeite, the most spiritually unaware of all in the room could feel the massive wave of energy coming from Rini now. Endymion scooped Rini up without a thought, regretting it as he felt her emotions swirling into him again... He felt himself go limp on the bed as she spiralled down into herself, taking him with her. A sudden slap across the face brought him back to himself and a very white faced Malachite.

Forcing himself to stay upright, he glared down at Helios angrily, forcing him backwards 

a step with nothing other than his anger and strength of will. Despite this, he gently rocked Rini in his arms. "Come on, we have to get to dinner." The Crown Prince stomped out of his bed chamber, closely followed by Malachite (who needed to be ready to catch the said prince if he fainted) as well as Nephrite, Jadeite, and Zoisite. Helios remained behind, giving himself time to stand, seemingly in a trance, allowing his mental powers to fill the room before leaving it and heading towards The Temple. Dinner was tempting, but other worries came first. Especially when they were worries connected to _this_ child.

- -

"How was dinner?" Helios asked, not even bothering to glance up from the LiKana board three hours later. Even with attempted stealth the garren still hadn't managed to enter unheard.

"You have about 5 seconds until he comes back," Malachite said, grabbing a book off the humungous stack on one of the tables. Zoisite had already emersed himself in a thick tome nearby, though he was really trying to hide behind the stacks and prayed to Selene he would go unnoticed. Jadeite scurried in quickly, hoping to not be seen as he also snatched up reading material. Even Nephrite's stroll was a little uneven as he hurried to his usual spot, safely hidden from view by a large ornamental vase of flowers. "We all agreed about three seconds ago that you're in for it and good luck. We hope you don't die, as we would all miss you and we aren't quite sure who could perform the funeral service. We suspect Quartz might be up to it but-"

"Helios," Endymion's voice interrupted Malachite's whisper. Soft and deadly, it scared the garren more than if he had shouted at the top of his lungs. The door closed quietly behind him. Assumedly, he'd already tucked the girl into his own bed as Rini was conspicuously absent. She had already seemed to forget her nightmare ordeal while Endymion, obviously, hadn't. But then, he wasn't a five year old entranced by chocolate cake. "WHAT were you thinking?!"

Helios, in return, looked up from the LiKana board. "I just wanted to see if I could get Serenity past Prosperity. You don't have to-"

"You know that's NOT what I'm talking about!" Endymion seethed.

"Endymion, don't get so testy, Helios didn't do-" Malachite sincerely hoped Helios would at least remember he'd _tried_ to help him. It wasn't his fault, he muttered to himself, his voice gone thanks to the glares he'd received from both parties due to his "interference", that neither the Prince nor the Priest was susceptible to any sort of rational reasoning once they were angry. The head garren glanced back to Jadeite and Nephrite, and around the book stack at Zoisite. All three were equally as baffled about the response. But no one else would make any attempts to say anything, that much was obvious...they'd all wanted to get OUT of there before this started! And as they were forced to stay, they were not going to draw attention to themselves until this was all over.

"What in the name of Ceres were you up to?!" Endymion asked Helios again, standing stiffly in front of the priest. His voice froze the room and Nephrite had a sudden wish that Jadeite would set the couch on fire again, just to break up the tension.

In response, Helios shrugged just as before, looking back to the board. "I already told you. You can tell a lot about a person's-"

"You made a five year old child CRY over something so trivial?!" Endymion's voice broke and he started shouting.

Any sparkle of humor in Helios's blue eyes was instantly replaced by cold anger. "She has a past she's trying to escape. I won't be the fool who lets his guard down for a child who could harm everyone around her." His fingers brushed over the jewel representing chaos on the board. The symbolism was not lost on Endymion.

"I already told you she does not-"

"Did I say INTENTIONALLY, your Highness?" Helios lashed out, standing. The garren sucked in their breaths, all stunned. Even when in the middle of an argument, Helios was always in control, but the waves of power rolling outwards from the High Priest said he was anything but in control of himself. Malachite suspected it was because he was feeling guilty himself about what he had done, even though he had claimed it was necessary, making it ridiculously easy for Endymion to get past Helios's barriers.

"You certainly implied it." Endymion replied just as coldly.

"We don't know anything about her your Highness other than she comes from the future, is about five, and doesn't mean for destruction. Unfortunately, the fact is that destruction follows her like a pet dog. I don't intend to forget that fact, and neither should you, no matter how much of your younger sister you see in her." Malachite sucked in his breath through clenched teeth as he saw the look on Endymion's face blacken to deep rage at the mention of his sister. Maybe Helios had taken it a little too far with that one. Before Endymion could utter another angry word, Helios bowed stiffly. "Your High Priest takes his leave." Endymion might have been blinded by fury, but Malachite glanced worriedly at the priest as he caught what Endymion would have if he had been a bit less angry: The significance of Helios's words and their phrasing…

Helios walked with his usual, trained grace with all the room's eyes on him. Endymion's were glaring in anger, Malachite's in worry, as well as a bit of awe (he'd never managed to make Endymion so angry, in case you counted he and Helios's joint effort to get Endymion to date Lady Leralai), Zoisite's in horror, Jadeite with fear, and Nephrite shock. Their expression might have frozen like that had Helios not tripped over the table leg and gone flying through the air. All members of the royal guard allowed themselves marvelous laughter as Helios's sprawled figure lifted itself in shock. Endymion kept his face stiff, though his mouth did twitch a bit. 'I hope you broke...okay, fine, at least SPRAINED something!' he thought grudgingly.

"Nice, Helios, VERY nice. Way to break the tension," Jadeite laughed, approaching Helios, who was recovering slowly from his loss of balance as well as pride. Everyone else attempted to sober themselves. Jadeite glanced over at Endymion hopefully. Maybe now the two 

of them could actually talk without shouting?

"Helios?" Malachite asked, chuckling still, as Helios remained on all fours for more than a moment. Were his arms...trembling?

Helios emitted a painful cry, then collapsed back to the ground, head hitting the coffee table on the way back down, causing a cut to start bleeding stark red against Helios's naturally pale skin. "Helios?!" Zoisite sprang up, knocking every book over on the table. With loud crashes, they hit the floor, pages flying as the binding's landed the wrong way up. Helios made no reply. Something was definitely and obviously wrong. The four garren rushed to the High Priest's side, Nephrite reaching him first and checked for breathing before running to get a cloth to wipe the blood off with. Endymion stood back hesitantly, allowing himself to shut off from the world. His connection with his priest was only around the corner of his mind...

"Helios? Helios?!" Malachite rolled Helios's unconscious body over and brought him to a semi-sitting position. Helios responded somewhat, opening his glazed eyes halfway to watch the blonde's face swim in and out of focus before he allowed darkness to swallow him.

"He's burning up!" Zoisite's voice rose out of panic.

"We have to get him to The Temple!" Nephrite said, grabbing an overcoat quickly.

"No, wait, he's going cold...!"

"Endymion, HELP us here!" Jadeite cried, looking over at the prince who seemed frozen. "Endymion?!" Jadeite cried as the prince's eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped back onto the couch.

"Oh, great, not him too!!"

- -

Endymion stormed through the snow-white marble halls, not caring that he was causing an almost deafening amount of noise in what he assumed was usually a silent area. Actually, the childishly petty part of his mind enjoyed it. He really wasn't bothering to look at anything at all in the high ceilinged enclosure, or for that matter where he was going. In fact he wasn't even aware at all of where he was, only that Helios was somewhere around and he had to find him so he could kill him. The Crown Prince rounded another large pillar, and spotted the priest in the center of the room.

"HELIOS!" Endymion stomped angrily towards the High Priest's kneeling form. He seemed to be praying, not that Endymion cared. Perhaps Hades would be kind to Helios in death then, as Endymion was surely not going to be kind killing him. "NOW what are you up to?!" he shouted, directly over the silver-haired priest.

"I should have known you'd come, Your Highness," Helios added the address at the end, not even opening his eyes to acknowledge another presence. The slightly icy tone to his voice reminded Endymion that there was an unfinished argument between them. But he'd deal with that later, after he'd killed Helios for this latest development.

"Oh stop that. _I_ should have known you would pull a stunt like this!" Endymion cried. "I can't believe you didn't even warn us! The others are going crazy! None of them have ever seen this before if you'll remember. If it hadn't been for that time Rose did this to me on purpose, I'd have been right there, fooled with them as well!"

"If they take me to The Temple, they'll figure out what I've done," Helios said simply. "It's you who they'll really worry about; Crown Princes are a lot harder to come by than High Priests. Why did _you_ come, you who so hoped I would break something?"

"I said SPRAINED and-GAH! I HATE it when you read my thoughts!!" He threw his arms up in frustration. Helios's form didn't even flinch.

Seeing the High Priest wasn't going to hold a real conversation, Endymion took a few moments to cool down. Only one person could really make him show boiling anger, and that person was kneeling and praying. The only way to solve this was to go with the flow and hope Helios got done before Endymion went crazy. He knelt next to the priest, mimicking his body's stance.

He gently began the breathing exercises of meditation, and felt himself relax, mentally and physically. "So, what are we doing?" he asked after a moment, his voice back to calm, his anger dissipated.

"YOU, Your Highness, are going to go back before they bring Rose in," Helios replied. "And you didn't answer my question."

"Rose will only try to wake me up, she won't kill me..." Endymion brushed it off.

"Endymion," Helios's voice warned. He finally opened his eyes, and turned his head towards his only superior.

"I thought I'd cursed you...I was worried," Endymion grumbled, hating to admit that he'd been worried about the very person he'd been imagining painful deaths for. Had it been Malachite Endymion was admitting this to, a hearty laughter would have echoed through the empty halls.

But this was Helios. His curiosity appeased, the priest simply turned back to prayer. "Well, I'm fine obviously, I just have something to do. Shouldn't take too long. You can now go back to grumbling about me and my insensitivity in peace." It was a blatant and obvious dismissal.

"This something would be...?" Endymion made no signs of movement.

"Must you always be so nosy?" Helios muttered out of the corner of his mouth.

"Sorry?" Endymion smiled.

"Endy, trust me, you don't want to know," Helios stated.

"At least give me a hint?" Endymion became petulant. Helios groaned as he realized that Endymion was not going to let this go without knowing exactly what was going on. This was what he'd been trying to avoid: Endymion at his most stubborn.

"...I'm looking into someone's dream," Helios said after a long moment.

"Do I want to risk a guess?" Endymion asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Considering your reaction to my inquires earlier..."

Endymion jumped up, aghast. "Helios!"

"I knew you'd overreact," Helios sighed. He was still in prayer stance, although he'd stiffened somewhat at Endymion's reaction. Endymion could almost see the cold mask coming back over Helios's feelings.

"You DO remember the entire blowing up the LiKana board lesson, right?" Endymion went to whirl Helios around to make him look him straight in the eyes but found his hands went through the mental projection.

"Prince, you worry too much," Helios didn't even flinch, but at Endymion's quiet pleading, he softened and relaxed his body. He had begun some odd sort of rhythmic hand movements. Endymion almost wanted to be quiet and watch-he had only ever watched Helios at "work" during religious ceremonies, where Helios was surrounded by acolytes and such, as well as was draped in ceremonial robes and being watched by thousands of people. Not to mention Endymion too was weighed down by jewel encrusted ceremonial clothes of his own...

Still, he managed to shake himself back into worried anger. "Helios, if she has ANY walls-" He ground his teeth at the thought of what would happen to both Rini and Helios if her mind had any protections around it. Not to mention himself…

"Ah, see, finished. Now go back," Helios said, taking no notice of Endymion's frantic looks.

"Not happening," Endymion said loudly. Perhaps going into Rini's dreams hadn't been how he'd intended on spending his night, but it didn't seem that he could do a thing about it now. And his curious side was just aching to see what Helios thought was so important. He had the feeling that whenever Helios relayed these little adventures of his to Endymion and the garren, the priest left out any sort of details that might frighten all the others further. As Endymion thought about all the things Helios might have kept from him over the years, the hall the two men had previously occupied swirled out of focus, although Endymion and Helios's position remained the same.

"Deep breaths, Endy," Helios said humorously, sensing the prince's tension. "If you're going to crack under this little pressure..."

"CAN you breathe here?!" Endymion cried, panic beginning to set in. He'd never done this before…All the stories and dangers suddenly flooded over him and he moved closer to Helios for reassurance.

"Oh Endymion..." Helios sighed helplessly.

An image of Rini spiralled cinematically into focus in front of the two. "Helios," Endymion said nervously when he noticed the other wasn't going to do anything, "We shouldn't be DOING this..."

"Like I've said before, Endymion, you worry too much. We're simply having her relive a dream without having her tell it," Helios said, as the image of Rini sleeping faded into a dark fog. "It's better than trying to force the answers out of her."

"It's not RIGHT, Helios," Endymion almost growled. Didn't Helios have any morals?

"She won't feel a thing, nor will she remember this dream when she wakes up. There's no danger to her-"

"There's danger to you!"

"You too unless you leave about now... And I believe the danger for ME is worth it if I can help her. She's a future princess who needs all of our assistance. But I can't help unless I know what the problem is that she needs assistance with!"

"What do you mean me! Do you really thing that I'm going to, wait- Future...what?!" Endymion looked wildly over towards the calm priest.

"You can be so slow on the uptake sometimes... She's a princess, obviously. She had no control over her powers, meaning no training, so she can't be a priestess-in-training. The only other way she could've reached the inner circle is by being a royal or one of those _very_ few who are flukes. She has Terran royal power and the royal Lunarian insignia, and you yourself commented on the fact that she is accustomed to being called Lady, not to mention the fact that someone has given her lessons on disciplining her voice and stance when conducting an argument. That's politics 101, Endy. _Someone _is training her to be _something_ and it involves diplomacy. _I_ think that basically ensures she's of royalty. Rini is a princess of a future kingdom...actually come to think of it, she _could_ conceivably be your daughter, Endymion."

Endymion gave Helios a horrified look. "Don't say things like that," he said shakily.

"What, it could be true," Helios said thoughtfully. "And even if it isn't, she must at least be one of your descendents. It would certainly explain why her father looks like you and why her powers are so strong."

"I'm 20, Helios. I don't even have an idea of who I'll marry, although my guess would be my parents are silently planning my demise right about now...children are the last of my priorities." Endymion felt like banging his head against...something. This was not what he wanted to talk about right now, or ever, for that matter. He had made it QUITE obvious to his guard and Helios that this last year was going to be a year he _ignored_ any sort of duties. Of course, it hadn't quite worked out that way. He'd not mentioned to his parents that he intended to forget his throne for a year (he was quite sure they would not be pleased.)

Helios chuckled softly. "I'd love to see the look on your parents' faces if you told them that. You're scheduled to be crowned on your 21st birthday after your father steps down; that's in less than a year. Surely they must have SOME way planned for your smooth transition into the monarchy...?"

Endymion frowned as the discussion got more involved. "I'm sure they do have a plan and I don't doubt a wedding is probably at the top of their list. I think I'll imagine I'm a fish this time as they explain it to me. Fish don't have to listen to and understand the complexities of ruling and getting engaged to a "suitable Lady of noble stature and grace". And don't lecture me, Helios. I have to go to Amaranta in a couple of days, I'll hear enough of it then even IF I believe I'm a water dweller and incapable of understanding. A wedding would certainly work, you have to admit."

Helios winced. "Don't envy you there..." he couldn't help but say.

Endymion nodded, though he was distracted by something else. He glanced around at the still thick fog. "Is it supposed to be like this?"

"No," Helios's tone turned serious. "In all my experience this hasn't ever-"

"MAMA!" a child's scream pierced the dense fog.

- -

This chapter is shorter than the others, I realize, but this was the best cut off place, or else this chapter would have been something like 30 pages long ; I'd also like to mention that i know it seems, so far, that this story focuses around Endymion, his Garren (this might also be a good time for me to point out that I use the term 'garren' with license, I was getting very tired of calling them just the generals when their service in my story is somewhat different), Rini, and a couple other characters. It won't be for another few more chapters, but by the end of this story, most ever character of the Sailor Moon universe come in somehow.

Thank you for reading!

Moonlight Eternal


	4. Chapter 4

_Different World of a Different Time  
_by Moonlight Eternal

- -

Chapitre 4

"MAMA!" a child's scream pierced the dense fog.

"That's Rini-" Endymion snapped into action. He'd come here for Rini's sake, there was Rini's voice, time to go. He made the movement to run but was stopped by Helios's solid, firm, restraining grip on his shoulder. Apparently it was only he who could not touch Helios, but Helios could touch him. He wondered absently if this was something that had to be learnt or if it was just a gift he didn't have.

"This is a dream, Endymion. We can't be seen," he informed the prince severely.

"But-"

"She wouldn't recognize us anyway. This is before she came to us. If we're seen, she won't automatically assume us allies and will most likely run from us. Not that she even considers us allies now." Helios said in a low whisper that still managed to cut through the foggy air and slight grogginess it seemed to bring Endymion at least.

"Why would a child think on the terms of ally or enemy?" Endymion asked slowly. That wouldn't make any sense; he knew for a fact Eternal and Destiny thought on the level of 'friend', 'best friend', and 'meanie.'

"A normal child wouldn't," Helios conceded. "A child who has just watched her family murdered might consider such terms." He shook his head sadly. He didn't know where that statement had come from, but once he'd said it he realised that it felt right and the pieces slotted into place. He desperately hoped that Rini wasn't Endymion's daughter, otherwise his friend's years might just be numbered…

"Murdered?!" Endymion gazed into the thinning mist. "That means I have to stop-"

"This has already happened, Endy," Helios said gently, staring off into the distance. Endymion wondered if Helios saw something he did not. "We can't do a thing. We're here to observe, not to interfere, even if we physically could." Endymion heard the faint sense of longing in Helios's voice, a longing to change this. "Plus, that was only speculation," Helios added in an attempt to reassure Endymion.

"But something _like_ that happened?" Endymion pursued.

"Most likely...I wouldn't have said it if that wasn't what my intuition led to."

"We CAN do something, then-comfort her!" With those words, Endymion grabbed Helios's cold hand and yanked him through the mist and towards the scream. Running blindly through the diminishing fog, time seemed to stop. Endymion couldn't help but wonder, humorously, what kind of picture he, wearing an after dinner robe over his drawstring pyjama bottoms and no shirt, and Helios, adorned in his white priest's garb, made.

After a moment, Helios had conserved enough breath to choke out, "E-en-Endy-

ENDYMION!" In response, the prince slowed to a mere jog, releasing the priest's hand.

"We could," Helios gulped in air, panting, "run like this forever! Conserve your energy! We don't know where she is, and running around in circles is just going to get us lost. I don't even know why I let you come."

"You didn't let me," Endymion said snidely. "I came on my own-" Helios's jaw dropped. Endymion waved a hand over his face. "You needn't be so surprised, you're easy to convince-" Helios swatted Endymion, then pointed directly in front of him.

Endymion, as he turned his head, realized numbly that any fog had disappeared. As his head became parallel to Helios's, he froze in shock. The mist had only been veiling something much worse than the unknown. Endymion found himself recognizing the horror before him as the same place he'd seen from the aShlin, from Rini. Was this dream taking place before or after what had happened to Rini's mother, assumedly the Queen? Endymion could hardly fathom that this was really how a kingdom was supposed to look... It was midnight, and deadly quiet. Endymion quickly glanced around after his eyes had made the drastic change. He and Helios stood on an overhanging cliff. Below them, the wasteland of crystallized buildings expanded, absorbing the faint light like graves. Endymion felt the horror seep into him as he wondered if that wasn't what the city had become: a huge gravesite. Even the moonlight could not catch a glimmer in the dark glass buildings. Towards the center of the gleamless city was the largest building of all, if you could even refer to it as a building. The palace was a gigantic crystal itself, thought it seemed the darkest of all.

There was no movement below and even for night that was odd. There was ALWAYS someone on the prowl. "Helios..." Endymion glanced over at his best friend. Although Helios too looked shook up, he was not nearly as horrified as Endymion. At least that's what his face said. He could be just swallowing what was around him, like Endymion normally managed to do. Or, and Endymion had a sneaking suspicion that this was the actual reason, he had expected this and had an inkling in advance of what was going to be seen.

"Come one," the priest said after a moment. "We have to actually find Rini before we can learn anything."

"Except that she comes from a horrible place..." Endymion couldn't help but mutter as he followed Helios down the cliff.

"Don't judge," Helios chided shortly. He raised a hand to his eyes and looked out over the city. "I could imagine this being quite beautiful."

Minutes later, the two men were attempting to stay inconspicuous while remaining the only moving people in the entire city. Endymion had almost felt his dinner come up at the faces of frozen fear staring back at them. At first, Endymion had thought the city abandoned. On the contrary, it was inhabited-by crystal statues of people. It was almost as if a freeze had stopped everyone in their tracks. Something frightening had done this. The frantic looks on parents' faces 

that carried sobbing children testified to this.

Endymion and Helios walked through the streets of statues in hushed silence, as if the very breath they'd take might break the people and have to watch them shatter as they hit the ground.

"This is horrible..." Endymion finally managed to voice in a whisper when the spanning silence became too much.

"That, my dear Prince, is an understatement."

"What do you think...?" Endymion glanced over at the only living, breathing human life walking beside him out of desperation.

"Endymion, this is the future. Who knows what advances the people here have made? Magic could be non-existent. We don't even know how far ahead in the future we are."

"What great faith you have oh High Priest," Endymion managed sarcasm. He couldn't believe that magic would ever die. Okay, maybe it wasn't as wide spread and prolific as it had once been, but there were still hundreds on Earth who had the gift, and that was one planet alone.

Helios shook his head sadly, then turned to Endymion. "Do you think I want it that way, Endy? That I pray for the death of such a wondrous art? That's like assuming I wish for the demise of everyone who follows a different set of beliefs than I." His expression was far-off. "This is what the future holds."

"How can you be so sure magic is dead?" Endymion asked hesitantly "This," he indicated the city with a sweep of his hand, "is the future."

Helios looked at him with dead eyes. "Look at the moon." He whispered.

Endymion obeyed and felt sadness wash over him at the sight of it. On Earth, his Earth he reminded himself, the Moon always glowed with an inner radiance, much like Serenity did. But the moon that hung in the sky now was huge, grey, and barren, not even a glimmer of life coming from it.

"Helios," the prince said uneasily looking back at the ground, "I'm spooked enough. I don't need your help. And besides, this is a dream world. It COULD be an exaggeration."

"This is a memory turned dream," Helios informed him, shaking his head. "No imagination responsible here."

"You are being utterly POSITIVE on this glorious night," Endymion stomped ahead of the despondent priest. This was no time to get depressed about a future he'd never see except in a child's head. His goal was to find Rini and keep her safe. He told himself he was just trying to protect her from herself.

He knew he was lying.

As they approached the large crystal in the center of the city, the prince and priest finally heard an ounce of sound ahead. The fact that the sound was so soft was astonishing, if you considered the almost deafeningly loud silence of the city otherwise. Endymion glanced over at the priest, who was already striding silently forward towards the sound.

"Why the stealth?" Endymion whispered, following Helios's lead. It was almost laughable. Almost.

"We can't be seen," Helios stated again.

"Understood." Endymion affirmed. But still, he wondered. If Rini was in trouble, would he stick to that rule?

- -

"Zoisite, quit wimping out and help us carry them!" Malachite shouted. The Captain of the Garren and Master at Arms was lagging behind the rest of the group dragging Endymion's dead weight alone.

"I'm the brain, you're supposed to be the brawn..." Zoisite grumbled, but all the same he took Endymion's legs and hoisted them off the ground.

"What in the name of Deimos is going on?!" Jadeite asked again, straining a bit under Helios's weight and trying to look behind him at the same time.

Why had he had to be the one to walk backwards? He was only glad he didn't have to carry Endymion. Next to him, Helios was a fairy. It wasn't that Endy was overweight or anything, it was just that muscle weighed a lot more than fat and Endy was a lot of muscle.

"Apparently-" Nephrite began to speak, but stopped as he'd dropped Helios's legs to begin his usual hand gestures.

"Agh!" Jadeite yelped as he tripped and sent himself and the unconscious Helios flying. "WHY," Jadeite asked shortly as he got up, "aren't we having someone help us?" Nephrite ran to help gather up the High Priest.

"Because we don't want to cause an uproar, that's why," Zoisite answered, back to his usual calm and collected self. Jadeite found himself gawking at this. Zoisite was always a little more emotionally detached than the other three, although they could all manage to be quite unemotional if the time called for it, but his Prince and Priest had just collapsed. Was the man made of ice or something?! Jadeite felt the least comfortable with the lean, discomfortingly fair and well-chiselled Zoi. Zoisite didn't really invite socializing; he seemed to find solace enough for whatever ailed him through literature, most of which Jadeite could hardly comprehend. He appreciated a good read now and then, but his passions lay elsewhere.

"Maybe we need to!" Jadeite, despite some hesitation, had no real trouble countering Zoisite. "Why aren't you guys worrying?!" Jed couldn't help feeling that he was missing something, something the others were either choosing not to tell him or something they didn't even realize he was unaware of. Probably a combination...

"We worry," the other three said at once, none looking to the other afterwards. They had the practical bond of time together, as well as similar knowledge on most subjects related to their major line of work as Garren of Crown Prince Endymion, but it still disturbed them when they all reacted the same. It meant that something was definitely wrong.

"But for different reasons," Malachite added after a moment's thought, glancing around to look closely at Jadeite's reaction.

"Pretend, again, I have not a clue in respect to what you guys are hinting at..." Jadeite grumbled, almost glaring at the captain but maintaining only a look of meagre animosity as he stared past Nephrite into the other's eyes. After all, you didn't just glare at Malachite. Well, unless you were Endymion. Or Helios. Or Rose…but they were separate cases all together.

Malachite cheerfully dropped Endymion and rounded to Jadeite's side of Helios, where he proceeded to pat Jed on the back, as if paying attention to the youngest and least experienced garren might take his own mind off what Endymion and Helios were doing... "Don't worry! You'll get a hang of this eventually! Sure, there's lots to remember..."

"And you might lose your sanity in the midst of it all," Zoisite interrupted, wincing as he unsteadily attempted to keep Endymion's head from hitting the marble floor without Malachite lending any sort of assistance. This was rather difficult as he was holding the lower half of Endymion's body, not the upper.

"I would say that only comes later, when they start telling you what they've been up to without so much as a guilty look on their faces." Nephrite glanced back to look at Zoisite, who nodded in affirmation.

Of all the Garren, Zoisite seemed to share the closest bond with Nephrite. Jadeite wasn't yet sure what exactly it was that the two had in common; Zoisite had been born into a highly noble family with connections to both the planet Mercury, of which his mother had been cousins with the Pillar's Chosen One, and Earth; his grandfather, who had raised Zoisite himself, had even once served on the High Council of Terra, the second part of the Earth government beside the reigning monarchs. Nephrite's connections to the planet Earth were nonexistent, and it had been through sheer luck (much like for Jadeite himself) he'd even been recognized as a candidate for the Garren. Nephrite's family was based on Saturn, and Neph had been raised to become a Priest of the darker planet; it took someone of great power to even be considered for that role, which was one of the main reasons Jed held Nephrite in such high esteem. There didn't seem to be much Zoisite and Nephrite could bond on besides the fact they both were Garren. Yet Jadeite could tell, though not from anything on the surface, that the two were close. "Again, why aren't you all worried? Your High Priest and Crown Prince just dropped like a Martian-"

"No metaphor needed. And they're your High Priest and Crown Prince now too, remember that," Malachite said, taking hold of Endymion again at Zoisite's rather pointed glare.

Jadeite had also taken notice that while Malachite was perhaps the Captain, in most situations he seemed to fall victim to manipulation through the others, especially Helios. But then, Helios didn't really fall into any sort of category in Jadeite's mind. He, the unconscious High Priest, and Endymion were the most enigmatic of all. Both were genuinely kind human beings, but their natural and self-built barriers against others were almost obvious. Malachite, too, had erected similar walls. Between the three Jadeite knew there were things that even the other two Garren didn't know. And he was far from these truths as well.

"Basically," Zoisite began offhandedly, apparently in a giving mood, "we have an idea what's up. Helios decided to go somewhere within a different dimension using those priestly powers of his-"

"And Endymion," everyone noticed the growl in Malachite's voice, "up and followed him. Probably to finish the argument. Hopefully he'll chew him out about scaring us at the same time. Course, we get to shout at Endymion for doing the same thing when he gets back."

"We're taking them to the temple," Nephrite supplied before Jadeite could utter a syllable, "because they're closer to power there."

"That I could have guessed for myself in most part." Jadeite wasn't very familiar with the idea of dimensional travel, as the others seemed to be, but he was aware of the fact that the most powerful place of a planet was the temple the High Priest worked in. "If you guys have known all along, why'd you freak out so much?" Jadeite asked impatiently. "You had me freaking out even more! I thought I was missing something else really important!"

The other three glanced at one another nervously. "Well, we've never actually SEEN Helios travel out of one world...usually he goes of his own free will when we're not there."

"Of his own free will? Does that mean this time he was forced?" Jadeite asked, curious about the phrasing of Zoisite's sentence. The others chose to ignore his query.

"That's mostly because he knows it scares the rest of us, including Endymion, out of our minds when he tells us about it...if he ever told us prior to departing, we'd only try to stop him," Nephrite said thoughtfully.

Jadeite had about given up.

"It looks like the two of them are just sleeping, but really they're travelling between different parallel worlds. They could be in many different ones. We worry because they could get lost or be tricked by themselves to never return or-"

"Trust me, you don't want to know them all," Malachite wearily interrupted Zoisite. HE 

didn't want to be reminded about any that he might have forgotten.

"But Helios is High Priest. He should be able to-" Jadeite began.

"Even he can lose his way," Nephrite interrupted knowledgably. Jadeite faintly remembered that Nephrite came from a long line of strong priests, which only added to the fact he'd also trained to be one. It was only natural he'd known some of the more internal details. Jadeite himself had been training to be an acolyte under the coming-of-age High Priest of Earth, or in other words Helios, but he didn't know half of what the others knew on this subject. He had been identified as a garren member before he'd really got anywhere with his training.

"There are secrets about Endymion and Helios," Malachite began, "that you won't be told for years, Jed. If even then. You have a lot to learn after induction as well. But let's put it to this for now- there's more than one string of fate when it comes to the two of them."

The group continued in silence. It was a long was to the Hall of Prayer, as the area of the temple was known. Additionally the group would probably have to take the back door to avoid anyone...

"So...why did Helios just collapse like that?" Jadeite couldn't help but break in and ask.

"Ask him when he gets out." Zoisite was finished answering questions.

"But what about Endymion-"

"Just ask them later," Nephrite repeated.

"Fine..." Jadeite conceded dejectedly. His respect for Nephrite kept him silent as the group shuffled onward toward the temple, traversing the Day Paths to keep out of sight of any late night wanderers. That would have been an awkward situation to try and explain. Avoiding an uproar was the easiest way to help the High Priest and Crown Prince at that point in time. And meeting someone wandering the Night Paths was bound to happen to them, even if the last hour glass they'd passed had read close to 23 turns of the glass. The next day was only one turn away, yet all the Garren agreed this didn't stop people from wandering the paths in the dark silence when most should have been asleep. Trekking the more treacherous Day Paths was their best bet at not being sighted carrying the unconscious Crown Prince and High Priest, though whether this was best for the twosome's bodies was another issue.

"Ow," Malachite muttered as he once again dropped Endymion and tripped over a stray root in the dark yet starlit gardens.

- -

"Ow!" Endymion jumped, then rubbed one of his shoulders.

"What?" Helios asked, looking back curiously at the prince. He'd been admiring the 

Prince's handiwork-he hadn't been quite sure HOW they'd scale that wall. But apparently Endymion had some experience with escaping into a palace...which only made Helios suspect he knew how to get out of one. The priest didn't really have to think too long about how or why the prince knew this, nor in whose silver-haired company Endymion had initially learned the stunt. He certainly wasn't going to dwell on a certain threesome of a Lunar Princess, Prince of Earth, and Captain of the Garren who upon numerous occasions had obviously used the same method as Endymion had just showed him. He would not allow his thoughts to wander in the direction of what exactly Serenity, Malachite, and Endymion did as children which would have put all their parents into graves at the thought. Helios's only light was the HOPE that the three had outgrown such antics and Endymion was just drawing on childhood years of experience...and not anything more recent than that...but at the same time he also knew that in all likely hood, there was no point even hoping…

"I think someone just dropped me," Endymion said, oblivious to Helios's brave act of indifference and oblivion.

Swallowing, Helios switched his thoughts to something else and Endymion continued to mutter about incompetent guards. "I suppose I _should_ have assumed you guys adult enough to warn you..." Helios murmured, thinking back.

Endymion turned around, agape. "It only dawns on you NOW?! Think of all the bruises I'm getting out there!"

"Although I suppose I do have to take into account your being hateful towards me, as well as your less-than-mature reaction to my earlier endeavours to figure Rini's dreams," Helios continued matter-of-factly, moving past his prince. By "jumping" the 20 foot wall, the two had left behind the realm of frigid statuettes and now found themselves in a courtyard of frozen plants. Everything had returned to chilled silence of a dead night, but neither Endymion nor Helios were willing to return to that same silence themselves.

"I wasn't...well, I concede, I was being...I was unhappy about your very rash, and possibly harmful decision to have a child relay a nightmarish memory. You can be strangely insensitive sometimes, Helios," Endymion said the last part, a hint of surprise in his tones. He followed after the priest diligently and tried not to grimace at the stone coldness resonating from all the life around him. Sure, it was a dream but...the lack of warmth to the Earth, his Earth, was frightening him more than anything he'd seen so far. It made him long to run his fingers through the soil and feel it's life giving power, but the world around him was sucked so dry that he was too scared to even attempt it. He didn't want to know that the Earth was dying, even though he could see it around him. To find the power of his star gone would be the final clinching truth in a reality he didn't want to accept.

"This plan was fool proof," Helios said after a moment. He tried to find a decent path out of the dense icicle land; the courtyard was some ways out of the dense vegetation they'd descended the wall into. "Except that Rini began dreaming MUCH earlier in the cycle than I expected. That's why I collapsed in front of you guys. Had it been my choice, I'd be doing this alone and _you'd_ still be unknowing and angry with me."

"See, aren't you glad I-wait a grain of a turn, you kept me in the dark on PURPOSE."

"I did it FOR a purpose, to keep you safe," the priest murmured pointedly, his eyes still ahead of him.

Endymion considered Helios his most trusted friend. They'd known each other since they were very small, for as long as Endymion had known Malachite. And Helios was aware of many things involving subjects Malachite wouldn't touch on. But then, Malachite knew nitty gritty details that would turn Helios pale at the mere mention. So although it was unfair to say that Helios was closer to Endymion than Malachite was, Helios still found himself at the top of Endymion's list of friends. It was impossible for Endymion not to agree he'd...overreacted a tad to Helios's decision, although why the prince was unsure. Normally this procedure would bother him solely for the danger to the priest, not more so for the danger to a girl who might faintly remind him of his little sister but other than that he had no connections to beside aShlin and he'd only known for most of the day. "And to keep me in the dark..." he still muttered sulkily, determined to be difficult for the sake of being difficult. He was in that kind of mood...

"Well...maybe," Helios turned about to face Endymion who he could just feel seething behind him. "But just a bit," he hurriedly added. "After all, whatever I found out I was going to have to tell you about. You wouldn't have been in the dark too long...though personally," Helios glanced around and shivered, "I prefer any sort of darkness to this."

"We agree there..." Endymion stepped out of the bushes, and both of them found themselves at the edge of an expansive garden. The palace was still at least a mile away. "This didn't look so big from up there..."

Helios knew Endymion was referring to the wall and personally, he agreed.

"Great...this just PROVES we're in a dream," Endymion threw his arms up in exasperation after examining the garden for an entrance. "A maze?! We have to walk through a hellishly placed HEDGE MAZE?!"

"Calm down, Endymion," Malachite shushed.

"What the-" Endymion and Helios both whirled around to find Malachite standing behind them with a wicked grin. The look on Rose-Quartz's face behind him was wicked, yes, but not with any inclination towards trouble, where as Malachite was sparkling with mischievous energy.

"Hang on a minute..." Endymion glanced over at Helios, who silently shrugged. By that point in time, unexpected guests had become commonplace. As long as they kept quiet and he was able to accomplish the original purpose, they could follow him all they wanted. He went on to study the frozen hedge twice his height before him, ignoring the tingle of shear terror Endymion was letting off. Then again, had Rose's anger been directed at him, he would have been letting off more than a tingle of terror. But Rose was safely distracted by her brother, so he 

didn't have to worry about her wrath descending on him anytime soon.

"What-but-how-" Endymion continued, backing closer towards Helios.

"Guess who WE found at the temple after dragging you and Helios ALL the way there?" The enthusiasm in Malachite's voice registered on the Endymion scale as frighteningly high.

"He'd be dead already if it weren't the fact that YOU are at the top of my assassination list," Rose growled. The fact that Rose hadn't killed Malachite on their journey to find the prince and priest gave Endymion a worse gut feeling. Helios even started to seem mildly worried for his own safety.

"Why are you-" Endymion halted at his elder sister's glare. He backed further into the unrelentingly cold bush behind him. Crystal leaves shattered and fell to the ground as he pushed his way through them in a useless attempt to avoid some of his sister's anger.

"Rose I can see, as a priestess, but... Malachite, how did you get here?" Helios asked, leaving Endymion to deal with his sibling. He loved her to death but she was not in the mood to leash her temper, and he was not one for suicide. Since Endymion was the reason it had gotten away from her in the first place, he deserved a little justice.

Malachite looked indifferent, although Helios could almost SEE the adrenaline, as well as a little fear, swimming in his iced eyes. "I was sort of...forced into it, shall we say. The others were a little too reluctant to be of much use."

"I have a new respect for you, Mal," Helios said, taking into account that Malachite knew almost every danger associated with this sort of travel, as well as the fact that the Captain had had to travel with a certain sister who was threatening her little brother vast amounts of bodily harm and whom technically Mal should be stopping before she did too much damage to the very person he was supposed to be protecting. Helios would not have willingly walked into a situation that would have involved him being planted straight in the path of Rose in a Rage.

"Why thank you," exhaustion crept into Malachite's voice.

"How did..." Helios eyed Rose somewhat nervously. High Priest he might be, but Endymion's sister was well on her way to becoming the High Priestess. He'd have to wrestle with her anger enough at that point, best leave any bits directed at others TO others for the time being.

"She happened to be doing the midnight ceremony..." Malachite trailed off, watching with amusement as the Crown Prince shrank in fear at his sister.

"Ah, yes, full moon...I'd forgotten." Helios said, setting foot into the maze. They really didn't have the time to stand around and chat about the weather and Endymion's upcoming death.

"Funny. You're our most powerful priest-"

"Not true, I'm just High Priest through strategic politics," Helios interrupted. Which wasn't altogether true, he was powerful to his own right. But there was ALWAYS someone more powerful. At least, that was Helios's philosophy.

"Think what you like. Anyway, you're our High Priest and yet you still forget your duties..." Malachite laughed a bit. "What will the rest of us do when we die?"

"I'm sure Ceres would forgive, Malachite, and send the word onto the God of the Underworld." Malachite snorted. "Who's the priest here? Besides, there are shrine maidens and other priests and priestesses for you who, need I remind, need the practice. I have other duties, to the crown." Helios raised an eyebrow at his friend's lack of faith.

"Truly a dedicated man." Whether he meant it sarcastically or not, Helios ignored the garren.

"Malachite, be quiet," Helios added offhandedly over his shoulder, making his way slowly through the labyrinth. It was going to be interesting trying to find his way through a maze he'd never seen before, in a strange city, at night, in someone's dream and he didn't need the interruptions.

"YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO LEAVE THIS STUFF TO ME!!" Rose shouted from ten feet behind as she continued to strangle Endymion savagely. The princess didn't even seem to notice her shrill voice was echoing through the entire kingdom.

"Quartz, don't kill our future king just yet, we might need him later," Malachite called as he followed after Helios, not noticing the priest's wince at the added noise. Rose let go of her brother long enough to launch a rose towards the annoying blonde guy. Malachite dodged it and winced as Helios jumped, the rose just missing him and shearing off a few strands of his silver hair.

"Uh… sorry?" Malachite cringed. Even Rose seemed to freeze in panic, waiting for Helios's response.

"Just. Leave. Me. Be." Helios growled menacingly.

"Would you guys PLEASE quiet down?" Endymion asked in a harsh whisper, rubbing his neck then proceeding to follow after Helios before his sister came at him. Rose glared at him for a couple of seconds, sobered, then hurriedly became the rear of the party. Only then did she notice the heavy silence that was everywhere but the maze they wandered. It hung tensely over everyone's shoulders.

Endymion had struggled through many High Council of Terra congregations over the years. He could remember the never ending ramblings of the 13 Council Members on such small subjects as crop failures, magic deficiencies, small insurgences from the foreigners of Luna... By Terran law, Endymion as Crown Prince was required to attend each meeting since the age of five. 30 meetings later, he would have thought he knew the epitome of the words Boredom and 

Silence, boredom applying to the drawling voices and silence to those odd periods of time, while everyone stared off. He'd wondered when he was younger (in fact, he still wondered) whether the members all found what they did for a living interesting, or if some of them found the duty about as tedious as he did. Yet strolling on tiptoe and still feeling as though his footfalls were deafening, Endymion decided that there was something beyond the cold quiet the High Council would sometimes slip back into. This was perhaps the true meaning of silence (he'd left boredom back in his true body). The dead world around him was painful to the ears, and although some of the minesstro and minesstresas' voices did qualify as deafeningly, viciously painful, Endymion had never heard something quite like this. Wandering around a frozen maze, without a living-

"You did that on purpose!" Rose hissed as she tripped into a frigid bush, the slight jingling of the iced leaves pounding in Endymion's head along with his sister's harsh whisper. He glanced behind him.

"I did not..." Malachite said, obviously trying to keep the smile to himself. Still, he managed to share his glee in dislodging a rock enough for the princess to trip on, with Endymion before returning to a stony face. It was quite odd, Endymion found his mind musing, that Malachite could be so childish on these occasions and yet still manage to leave an impression on most people of being frigid and rigidly cold. Helios, some 15 feet ahead, didn't take notice of any of the occurrences. Endymion wondered if he even noticed them, as deep in concentration as Helios was.

Malachite glanced ahead to the High Priest, as if he wondered whether Helios would make a slight, even underhanded, comment about his maturity. Most would have thought that, as the foursome were really just projections of the mind, being lost in thought would've been a difficult feat. Apparently, Helios did not listen to those little voices that told and assured Malachite of the impossible versus the possible. Because Helios was most definitely lost somewhere far beyond what Malachite felt he wanted to comprehend. Perhaps-

With a sigh, the Captain of the Garren side-stepped for the pink rose to make its way through, unaware of its slight glaze of his arm. Not that it mattered much to him anyway. "Quartz, really, a little more mature behavior on your part-"

"LOOK WHO'S TALKING ABOUT MATURE BEHAVIOR!!"

"Look who's supposed to be the princess," Malachite pointed out. Internally he winced at his own stupidity as he watched the woman behind him swell up indignantly with fury. He'd always thought himself intelligent, but clearly he'd been mistaken.

"YOU-"

"Sh," the harsh hush from Helios averted everyone's eyes to his figure. He'd turned around to face the approaching group, a finger to his lips signifying silence. Before Endymion could even mentally ask what was up, as the priest was obviously hushing them for more than the reason his sister and captain were allowing their voices to rise to dangerous magnitudes, the sharp cry met his ears.

"MAMA! BRING HER BACK! BRING HER BACK!"

Endymion, as well as the rest of the entourage, hurried towards the end of the last, long stretch the hedge maze presented them. Endymion took the lead, passing up Helios in his urgency to see what sort of tragedy could bring such a tone to the voice of a small child. As he remembered to halt at the last second before he skidded into broad sight of whoever was just beyond the labyrinth, he felt Helios's firm grasp stop him completely. At any other time, Endymion would've shot an accusing glare at the other for his obvious lack of faith in the prince's memory. The shouts beyond the bushes forced him to think only beyond the last wall of leaves and into what was sure to be a clearing. Rose and Malachite having caught up glanced around the opposite wall at the same time as Helios and Endymion. They gently pushed aside some of the crystal leaves to allow them viewing without being seen. The tinkling of them hitting each other as they broke off their branches and fell was temporarily the only sound that could be heard.

There was, indeed, a clearing towards the center. The maze's end was an entrance to a circular courtyard surrounded by the same frozen foliage. Endymion thought he recognized an assortment of familiar flora, especially the roses. He felt his stomach twist at the sight of the dead, or dying, flowers. It struck him just as hard as the sight of dying people for it signified a dying Earth.

"Small Lady, stop-" a tall, blonde woman wearing a strangely revealing white, orange, and blue-accented outfit held back a familiar small child at the center of the courtyard. Rini was clawing savagely at what the group could only assume was her mother. Though the back of the woman was turned to them, it was painstakingly obvious, at least to Helios and Endymion, that Rini's mother suffered a similar fate as the inhabitants of the city outside the palace walls. An odd crystalline substance surrounded her body, and Endymion wondered if the jagged edges of the crystal from the outside were just as sharp inside. The woman's frozen stance, at least from the back, suggested she'd been attempting to shield herself from a blast with her bare hands.

While the other three focused on crystal woman, Endymion allowed his own eyes to wander to the obviously living person surrounding the child and her mother. The woman who was holding Rini back had an oddly familiar face, though he'd never be able to place a finger on where he'd seen it. She had hair the shade of sunrays, if there even was a sun anymore he thought. The hair that might have been beautiful was caked with dirt, grime, and blood. Even from the distance he was at, the woman looked wounded both physically and emotionally. Tears fell down her face to match those Rini shed, though he could see her trying to stop their flow by will power alone.

"MAMA!! MAMA!!" Rini was still screaming, as if the louder she called the more likely her mother would be safe. Endymion felt something inside of him crumble at her helpless look.

Another woman ran into view, wearing a similar outfit to the lady with Rini, though hers 

was in various shades of blue. Her cropped blue hair gave Endymion an even more blatant feeling that he should recognize these women...

"Endymion," Rose whispered harshly, bringing him out of his thoughts, "those women... they're Sailor Senshi!" Endymion couldn't help but notice Malachite's look of shock, and wondered absently if his own face had the same expression. He couldn't see Helios's reaction, but he was sure it wasn't anywhere near as shocked as the Captain of the Garren's and was more likely to be hopeful. After all, if the Sailor Scouts still existed, so must magic.

How Rose could be sure that was what those oddly-dressed women were, he hadn't a clue. His sister knew the same stories as he from when they were small children getting ready for bed: the stories of soldiers who protected their planets outwardly while each planet's crystal protected inwardly. Rose herself, Endymion remembered fondly, had been the one to first explain to Endymion their existence. He did faintly remember she'd been infatuated with the thought of them... Few had ever met these mythical beings, just as few had met the heavenly Goddesses who protected the system's civilizations. Sailors were more of legend than reality to most of Terra, as well as to the rest of the Silver Millennium's system of planets. And this was a distant future to be sure, so how...?

"Small Lady, please, hush, we don't want them to return and find us. Your mother will be fine, your mother is-" Endymion watched as the blonde pulled the sobbing young princess, who still cried relentlessly for her mother, into her breast, rocking the child as she too bit her lip in the obvious effort to hold back a sob. Endymion had to bite his own lip in order to keep his temper and movements in check. He wanted so much to add comfort to the breaking heart before him. Meanwhile, the woman in blue was using some handheld object to scan Rini's mother up and down, and seemed to be in a completely other realm. Endymion thought distractedly of the resemblance between her cold countenance and the same chilled similarities a few of his garren possessed when they were focused on a task and trying not to think of what was going on around them.

After a moment, the woman with Rini looked up and over towards the woman in blue, as well as the woman within the quartz. Her eyes clearly evaded any contact with Rini's mother, however. "Mercury...the King...?" she questioned the other softly. Mercury's head whipped around, and shook silently, swiftly, before turning back. Rose, Endymion, Malachite, and Helios could see a tear of her own finally roll down the blue soldier's cheek as she attempted to focus on Rini's mother, assumedly the Queen.

"Papa...Mama..." Rini's despairing cry echoed in her dry throat. The first woman continued to rock her, holding her still within stronger, older arms. Rini unconsciously hugged the arms to her more and Endymion realized the trust there was strong, strong from years and years of being held and reassured by those same arms. He wondered what the connection was between those legendary soldiers and the young princess.

"The Queen is fine, Small Lady, just fine. She was doing her duty...hush now, she'll be fine, you'll see..." the woman in orange trailed off.

"Venus," Mercury addressed the other softly, in a voice that probably held a gentle quality most of the time but had become rough either from hard use within the last hours or from sobs she'd withheld...or both, "it should be safe to take her out, but I can't-" Mercury broke off, but Venus, as well as the others watching seemed to get the general gist of what she meant. She couldn't accomplish that alone...

Venus stood up, cradling Rini for a moment, then setting her down on the ground. Endymion longed to hurry over to the child's side and continue to hold her trembling body. Her fearful, glazed eyes frightened him for her sake.

Venus and Mercury took opposite sides of the blonde Queen encased in quartz, then held their hands out to the enclosure. The bright light both emitted was too painful to stare straight at; Endymion and the others turned to face away. When the spots quit appearing in their vision, they turned back in time to watch the woman fall into the sturdy grasp of the orange sailor, as well as Rini run into her weak, beckoning arms and Mercury once again scan her. Venus took the woman's hand protectively. Again Endymion got the impression of deep trust, friendship, and caring between the Sailor and the Queen. Obviously they knew each other well.

"Venus...Mercury..." Endymion had expected the voice to be feeble but found it to be almost soothingly strong, its regal yet gentle tone giving him hope for her even without seeing her too well. There was something about its soft quality he also found familiar. "Where are the others?"

"Searching for the King," Venus said quickly. Endymion noticed the quick glance between one sailor and the other. Rini sobbed in her mother's arms, barely visible amongst the white gown the queen wore. Looking her over, Endymion couldn't, from behind, see or sense any physical wounds. Whatever the soldiers worried ailed their queen was either internal or...

"We have to find him...have to..." the strong voice faltered, and everyone felt their hope flicker dangerously. The young queen began an attempt to stand even so.

"Majesty!" Venus began frantically. But there was no need; the queen couldn't move more than the bit she'd already attempted. She slumped back down, though she made an effort to support herself as much as possible. Rini looked up at her mother strangely, the fear of what was going unsaid reflected in her juvenile eyes. Endymion involuntarily moved forward slightly, wanting to help her, but Helios laid a restraining grip on his arm, sensing Endymion's inner turmoil.

"Venus," the queen began, her voice strong yet slightly altered, slightly quieter, as if she were reserving her strength... "as leader you must promise me you'll do as I ask. Promise me." The teary-eyed Venus nodded an affirmative, obviously unable to trust her voice. "Take Small Lady inside...keep her guarded at all times...I couldn't bare it if she fell into their hands. You have to find the King...he can use the Golden Crystal to create the barrier around Crystal Tokyo..." The queen's body began to tremble as her muscles tightened involuntarily. Endymion watched the petite woman in horror, wondering how she didn't snap in two. Helios's grip on his arm was painful.

"What?" He whispered abruptly.

Helios looked at him with wide eyes. "A crystal! They mentioned a crystal!"

"So what?" Malachite whispered from the opposite side. Rose still watched the women in the courtyard with wide-eyed intensity.

Helios looked back. "Perhaps Rini's looking for a specific crystal!" Endymion opened his mouth to ask for a further explanation, but the women in front of them began to speak again.

"Your Highness-" Mercury began.

"Resting won't change a thing, Ami..." the queen seemed to fall out of usual courtesy, and addressed the soldier with her given name. "If I rest anymore, I'll fade away entirely before I'm through talking..."

"No," Venus shook her head furiously. "No no no no NO! You will NOT give up, Queen! We can put you back! Please, let us put you back into the-"

"Mina, Mina..." the queen shook her head slowly, and Endymion noted that it seemed to take a lot more effort than she had assumed it would. "You know as well as I that without the crystal, I can't come back. I'll be forced into an eternal sleep...I don't wish for that, to linger between life and death for eternity..."

"We'll find the crystal for you, we'll-" Venus cried desperately. Rini clung to her mother's hand, tears streaming down her cherubim face. Mercury couldn't hold back her own tears, and Venus had long since given up on trying to. The dirt ran down her cheeks with the water and created clear streaks on all of their cheeks where the grime and muck of what had obviously been some sort of battle was washed away by their sorrow.

"That's an order!" The unmistakable voice of a queen echoed the courtyard over the sobs of all three of the others.

"Mama!" Rini's desperate cry was answered by her mother's gentle stroke of her cheek. "Serenity...my Small Lady...I love you..." the queen's voice caressed her daughter's heart as her hand touched the pale cheek a last time, before it fell to her side, and the queen lay back on the cold stone.

"I don't CARE about your orders, Serena," Venus shouted, jumping up and startling both Mercury and Rini away from the queen. "You are NOT dying!" With her words, as crystal tears running down her pallid face, Venus stretched out her arms, hands, and finally fingers. The light that followed resembled that of when the queen had first been brought out of the odd protective casing. When Endymion and the others all looked back, the Queen was once again wrapped in a layer of quartz, Venus was wiping the tears from her face with her gloved arm, Mercury and Rini clung to one another, and two other sailors were running into the picture as the fog once again swirled around Endymion and, he assumed, the others. He heard a final piercing cry of "MAMA" before he felt himself slammed back into his body.

- -


	5. Chapter 5

_Different World of a Different Time  
_by Moonlight Eternal

- -

Chapitre 5

Endymion quickly learned why Helios disliked being bothered after his excursions to different realms. As though he were swimming sluggishly through a thick gel, he felt himself return to a conscious state. The initial return had been quick enough, it was waking up to the regular world that seemed to elude him. He could hear foggy voices around him, which he assumed belonged to the Garren, discussing what he, Malachite, Helios, and Rose had witnessed.

He'd rather not think about that part...

"...looking for something to save her mother? A golden crystal?"

"Well, technically that's a description of Gaia's Crystal, isn't it? I've never heard it referred to as the Golden Crystal however."

"And Zoi would know!"

"Thank you, Jed, I needed that affirmation..."

"Be nice, Zoisite," Nephrite spoke in his mild way.

"I'm not sure that Gaia's crystal, or even this Golden Crystal are what she's searching for..." Helios's voice mused. "The way the Queen said it, Rini's father, the King, controls this Golden Crystal. Whatever crystal the Queen controls is the one that Rini may be looking for. That was the impression I got, but we can't exactly begin to help Rini with just that tidbit of knowledge. She could be searching for any one of the crystals- Jereni's, most likely as she's a Lunar descendant, but who knows? Rini's mother could control Indivar's, Xanthus', even Oran's crystal for all we know! Or she could be from a completely different galaxy..."

"But..." Jadeite's confused murmur filtered. Endymion groggily thought he should probably join this discussion, but sleeping sounded so nice... "But I thought _this_ was the only galaxy with a pillar system...why would another have crystals if that's not their politics." Even attempting to push himself back into sleep, Endymion heard the edge to his Master at Arms' voice. With an internal groan, the prince decided it was his responsibility to make sure that edge didn't escalate to something more threatening to the other garren. And as such, he was required to wake up. Curse responsibilities...

"Jed, if you'll remember, each country here also has a crystal and we certainly don't use the pillar system. I was just pointing out that knowing Rini's mother uses a crystal doesn't narrow down anything of who she is, or which crystal Rini might be looking for. But then, we don't even know that a crystal _is_ what she's looking for. Those sailors there-"

"Sailors as in the legends in skimpy outfits?" Endymion decided that the change in Jadeite's voice still didn't allow him to fall asleep right where he lay, although he seriously wished to do just that.

"_YES_, Jed," Helios continued. "They didn't seem the type to allow a child not even of court age to venture into unknown and therefore possibly enemy territory by herself, did they?"

"No," Malachite's hesitant reply was enough to sound alarm bells off in Endymion's head and wake him up further. Mal was NEVER hesitant. Quiet, occasionally, silent, when there were others around, sarcastic, more often than not, maliciously happy, all 24 turns of the day and night; NEVER was that man hesitant. But was it an unsure hesitance, or a hesitance to not wake Endymion up? Opening one eye unnoticeably, he peaked out to find Mal less than a foot away. Ah...so he'd just been hesitant to answer so nearby. Well then, he could just-

"Endy, what was your opinion?" It was cruel, really- Endymion had already apologized for that argument earlier. He almost wished Helios had just cursed him rather than deprive him of the mere turn of the hourglass of sleep he might've attained that night before rays of the sun streaked the sky.

"It would seem to me," Endymion began through clenched teeth as he remained in his horizontal position and left his eyes shut- perhaps they'd get the message, "that Rini didn't come with anyone's approval. The legends, which in most probability are more than legends, tell of a Guardian of Time, also a sailor; if she assisted Rini in travelling through time, you'd expect she wouldn't drop her Queen's daughter into the largest lake on Terra. I'm assuming this Guardian of Time serves the Queen just as the other sailors served her, so don't make any comment about my comment being impossible and irrelevant, Zoisite. It makes perfect sense." He knew his friend had closed his mouth with a slightly petulant pout. "Therefore, we can probably rule out that Rini came with the assistance, or at least the aware assistance, of anyone. On another note, do we HAVE to talk about this _now_ instead of oh, a Godly hour tomorrow when the sun isn't JUST beginning to show?"

"With your eyes clamped down so tight, Endymion, I'd have assumed you wouldn't notice," Helios said dryly.

"I _did_ notice you allowed my sister to escape..." Endymion answered back.

"Who could've kept _her_ captive?!" came Jadeite's query, as if the idea were inconceivable.

"Point," Endymion conceded. "But back to sleep...wouldn't the best way to find any of this out be to just _ask_ Rini yourself?" He groaned as he sat up and faced the others, deliberately hunching over and shooting looks at them with what he hoped were bloodshot eyes. Maybe if he made them feel guilty enough…

"She doesn't trust any one of us enough to tell us those close-to-the-heart kind of details..." Nephrite mentioned. "Not even Endymion, I'd gather. And even if she did, I'm pretty sure Enydmion wouldn't be comfortable asking that of Rini. She'll tell us in her own good time."

"The only question is how much time she has..." Zoisite murmured. Malachite pulled Endymion to his feet, and Endymion reluctantly shook his head to wake up with the realization that he'd have to walk all the way back to his room where a **couch** awaited his arrival.

"Not quite the only question," Helios murmured as he and the others exited his private chamber in the Temple and began, though wearily, their way back to their wing of the castle. Endymion noticed blearily that Jadeite still managed to have a bounce in his step.

"What is it, Jed?" he growled.

"This was the best day off ever!" The others only sighed and continued forward.

- -

Rini was blearily aware that quite early in the morning, someone had stumbled into the chamber she'd been sleeping in. She found herself roused only barely by some rather harsh, though clever, swearing in Old Language, accompanied by the sound of some object of the room falling over with a heartening THUD. Rini suspected to find, come the morning, an overturned end table of sorts.

Besides the small disturbed moment, Rini slept soundly through the night only to wake from a slight rapping at the dark mahogany doors that connected Endymion's bed chamber to a slight corridor. Although Rini couldn't be sure, she suspected that the other five men, or at least four of them as Helios didn't seem to be categorized with Nephrite, Jadeite, Malachite, and Zoisite, were nearby in the same hall, each behind their own door. She wondered briefly who slept behind the sixth door, almost identical to the garren's except for a slightly more...feminine touch. Perhaps Rose? As she stretched in accordance to her usual routine, she heard the rumbling growl from somewhere towards the middle of the room. Her eyes darted around the circular room quickly. The large bed she'd slept in was against a back wall, which had ceiling to floor windows on one side and doors that assumedly led to outside to a balcony on the other. Even with the drapes drawn, sunlight attempted to make its way inside, although somewhat hesitantly. Of course there were the usual things to a room: a wardrobe, a wall of books, a LiKana board on the ground next to an overturned end table, and a large, black couch towards the center of the room. The sound of protest had issued from the couch, or someone on the couch (which made more sense).

"Endymion," Zoisite's voice was muffled by the door. In response, Rini looked towards the couch; Endymion rolled over rebelliously. "You promised to go over these edicts before I sent them to the Council!"

"Did not..." Endymion croaked, pulling a blanket over his head. Rini glanced to one of the bedside tables. The hourglass read almost half past the hour of...Rini guessed the golden seven, formed of pure magic atop the hourglass, was the hour. She was pleasantly surprised that even at such an oddly early hour she felt refreshed. Rini wondered idly whether Endymion's bed had some magic charm for feeling rested like her mother's; Rini was sure that her mama, the Queen, MUST have some sort of special spell on her bed as Serenity never lacked of energy and yet Rini's mother rarely got what Queen Ami (the usual consult doctor and authority on such health issues) stated was the absolute minimum amount of sleep one should receive. But then, the Queen seemed to defy many "absolutes" on a regular basis...

"Don't make me get Malachite or Helios in here to lug your sorry hide out of bed..." Endymion's only reaction to Zoisite's threats was to place a pillow over his head. Rini couldn't help but giggle a little; she'd done the same thing many times to her own royal wake ups. The child took the invitation of extra time to glance around at the unfamiliar things gracing Endymion's room. She could tell, even at dusk and past dark the day before, that he, like her mother and father, in all likelihood owned wondrously curious items. She also hoped to figure out a little more on what time period she'd graced as well as anything about the people who lived in it. The six men she'd met the day before could certainly not be what one would call "normal". In the day she'd spent with these strange yet familiar people, Rini had made up her mind about most of their occupations, and although they might have been normal for these people, she could be sure that normal was not reserved to these people. Zoisite, as made even more obvious by his early morning intrusion on Endymion, was an advisor to some sort of senator or council member. Rini could not be sure how far in the past she'd managed to travel, she hadn't been to specific with the time key, so she also wasn't too familiar with the political structures of the time. However, Zoisite had the air of a high ranking nobleman who at the very least assisted a man of higher standings of whom Zoi was sure to take the place of later in life. Helios was the High Priest, or at least a priest- she'd known this almost from the beginning as the only men allowed to perform exorcisms were monks of the first order (of whom couldn't be found on Earth until long after it was no longer called Terra) or higher priests. And although it didn't sound as if Helios had been SUCCESSFUL in his exorcism, that much didn't really matter. Jadeite was harder to pinpoint-he seemed newer to Rini somehow. He certainly wasn't very magically inclined as he'd set that couch on fire...so he was most likely some sort of officer in the army, or a lower-ranking priest. Nephrite was even harder to figure than Jadeite as he'd not revealed a single one of his traits to her. He carried himself highly, however, and somewhat similarly to Helios. Therefore he was, or at least once had been, some sort of spiritually inclined man.

But Endymion eluded her the most. He was a nobleman, that was for sure, just like the others. His status Rini found herself stumbling over once she attempted puzzling beyond noble. The others seemed to answer to him and yet his duties struck her as minimal. Either he avoided responsibility like a plague or had bizarre amounts of free time. So, Rini hoped to find something of Endymion out from his own room. The night before it had been too dark to tell much of anything, but now that light was leaking through the drawn curtains...

Curiously she ran her eyes over the odd things on his many shelves, listening rather distantly to Zoisite's rising threats. Much like she regularly ignored many of her own tutors and mentors (it all came naturally when one was bothered by so many people on such a regular basis) Endymion was still stubbornly ignoring Zoisite. Perhaps Endymion also found himself badgered endlessly...Rini could only hope there were others who struggled like her. As she glanced over at Endymion though, she could see that he was even more adept at ignoring people than she, and had in fact, fallen straight back to sleep, one arm hanging off the side of the couch, the other holding the pillow to his head. She allowed herself another giggle and turned back to examining the room.

From her spot at the center of the it, Rini could recognize the assortment of books and titles. Rini's mind toggled between being wise in her innocence, and innocent in her wisdom. She was incredibly intelligent according to her parents, yet many of her tutors treated her with no 

such respect. Still, she managed to learn other things besides what the said tutors perscribed to her as 'basic training.' Her mother's court of Queens had always been willing to lend a hand in Rini's education, and had done so on many an occasion. She excelled in the arena of education when she was with those she trusted, and those she felt actually taught something worthwhile.

And the fact that Rini couldn't recognize many of the titles of Endymion's books was not for lack of reading ability. It would require closer inspection, but Rini was sure many of the books were in other strange, ancient languages she'd only heard of in theory. Rini spoke 10 of the 12 languages of her system, as well as 4 of the ancient languages. Whatever those books were titled in, it wasn't something she was familiar with. As she slowly, silently crept closer to the book case and off the bed, in order to take a closer look, her eyes caught a dull shine. Turning towards an obscure corner she stopped short to stare up at a podium taller than her: upon it rested a golden circlet.

'It figures,' her mind murmured as she looked over to the prince still sleeping on the couch. 'I should've realized...Endymion isn't exactly a common name, even in Old Language. It must be something like the Lunarian tradition of Serenity...although I've never _heard_ of something like that...I should ask someone back home...when everything's all sorted,' she added the second bit hastily. She felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. The way she was going, she'd never see her papa again to ask him.

"ENDYMION!" Rini jumped at Zoisite's last attempt to wake the prince up, her reverie broken and her emotions once again descending to a rest inside her. Even Endymion couldn't have ignored that.

Endymion sat up. "WHAT?!" he yelled at the door impatiently. Rini sensed his sleep had either been extremely poor or severely lacking. He didn't even seem to acknowledge Rini's presence; in fact, Rini was sure he'd forgotten it completely.

"YOU PROMISED!" Rini almost wished she could see the version of Zoisite which wasn't composed; it surely would've been either imposing or hilarious.

"WHEN?!" Endymion's voice rose in volume, if at all possible. Rini covered her ears against the roar.

"SHALL I GIVE YOU THE SPECIFIC TIME, PLACE, AND DATE OR WILL JUST YESTERDAY MORNING SUFFICE?!" the advisor matched his prince's volume extremely well. It clicked now why all the others seemed to serve Endymion...they were part of his Royal Guard, the Garren.

"What's all the racket about?" came a weary question. Rini whirled around to find Jadeite standing off to the far left of Endymion's room in what she highly suspected was solely a dark red robe. The door off behind him answered her unspoken query. She could make out, barely, another large bed chamber. Jadeite's was connected to Endymion's...

Rini quickly glanced around. There were five other single doors and two sets of double 

doors, one which she assumed led to the balcony, and other which Zoisite seemed to find useful for taking his frustration out on. The single doors, Rini guessed, all led to the other garren's rooms, as well as Helios's. And then there was that one which held an illustrious mystery...As Rini scrutinized the doors, one opened and Helios stumbled in. Thankfully, he seemed to be dressed, though from the look of all the creases in the material, he was only dressed because he'd slept in his clothes. There were dark circles under his eyes that showed up spectacularly on his pale skin and he was having trouble stifling a yawn.

"Endy...Zoi...isn't it a little early for an argument?" he asked, looking from Endymion to the door and back. Endymion had long since stood up and approached the door fiercely, stomping each step.

"I JUST WANT SOME SLEEP! IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR?"

"I JUST WANT YOUR QUICK APPROVAL! IF YOU'D HELPED ME _YESTERDAY_ LIKE I ORIGINALLY ASKED, YOU _COULD _STILL BE ASLEEP!" Without even bothering to reach the door, Endymion stretched out his hand and used magic to fling it open. 'He's got magic!' Rini gasped. Of course, when she looked back, that was rather obvious, but to see the proof face to face was a little freaky. At home, only her family and the scouts had magic and as a result, she didn't get to see much of it.

"LEAVE-ME-ALONE!!" Before Endymion could shut the door in his face, Zoisite leapt into the room. Rini had expected his face to be contorted in frustration, but he'd seemed to be staring agape in surprise. At least, agape for a man who was never supposed to change his facial expression from mildly interested and indifferent. Rini looked towards the others for something tangibly familiar as the emotional response to being yelled at. None of them struck her as annoyed, frustrated, or even angry themselves; they all had distinct looks of worry. Which forced Rini to look back at Endy's furious face and attempt to puzzle together why his being angry at being woken up at 7 something in the morning was something to be distraught about.

At around the time Rini was thinking hard on the subject, Nephrite and Malachite both strolled into the room from their own. Well...Malachite strolled, Nephrite walked. There was a difference: Nephrite enjoyed being up early and therefore could tread easily in a form of enlightenment and attachment to the morning. He walked into the room. Malachite strolled to cover the fact he hated mornings with a passion, but was forced to grace them with his presence, so he might as well make the impression they didn't bother him... Rini wondered distantly if they didn't bother him anymore. He was the only garren to manage a placid and firm smile...the rest of their shaky ones had long since fallen to become deep frowns of worry.

"Endy..." he murmured, approaching his prince with ease. The others seemed to think he was crazy and were looking like they wouldn't have gone near Endymion with a 10 foot pole. Endymion whirled around, forgetting to not give Malachite the death glares meant for Zoisite. Or perhaps he did that on purpose...

"What?" Endymion hissed, not bothering to back off the glares. Malachite didn't bat an 

eye.

"Need I remind you of a certain someone who, if we summoned her, would beat you senseless if she found out you were about to cut Zoi into small pieces only because he woke you up 2 hours after he himself had risen to slave over papers so they'd be ready in time so you wouldn't have to do it yourself, be late and therefore in trouble? Although she'd probably mash you into bits just because you threatened Zoi, no reason necessary..."

Endymion stared at Mal blankly. The deep circles under his eyes reminded Rini of how her papa looked whenever her mama made him sleep on the couch. Guilt began to creep in on her...perhaps this entire fiasco was her fault, for coming here in the first place. Just like everything seemed to be her fault lately. "Ren?" Endymion tried to answer Malachite's question. Rini noticed he paled slightly at the name. Or maybe it was something else...?

"I was thinking more about Amaya," Malachite gave a knowing look towards Zoisite, who was studying the ground, a thorough blush on his face at the name, "but you're right, we'd summon Amaya who'd in return try to understand and be complacent about Endymion's emotions, yet still explain her secret troubles to Ren, and Ren in a fury similar to that of our dear Princess Quartz would make her way here in a flash and you'd not survive to see your throne. Yes, that sounds about right." Endymion looked horrified at, what Rini couldn't be sure, but suspected was either the sequence of events Malachite had laid before them or his own suggestion of this 'Ren' person. Either way, he'd been shaken out of his rage, which had been Malachite's point. Glancing around at the others, she guessed this didn't happen often. Although Helios was silently applauding the captain. "Now," Malachite continued, "we'll give you a couple minutes to change and then I expect to see you in the study, hard at work with Zoi. Understood?"

With a growl, Endymion nodded. Malachite walked out the doors Zoisite had come in, closely followed by Zoi. The other garren and Helios took to their own rooms instead. And Rini and Endymion were left alone, Rini standing stalk still.

- -

Nephrite, Jadeite, and Helios hurried out into the corridor that connected all of their rooms in time to skid to a halt behind Malachie and Zoisite.

"What was that?!"  
"Well done, Mal, I didn't know you had it in you to actually CALM Endymion down..."

"Any ideas what was wrong?"

"So, Zoi, you and Amaya getting into a heavier relationship?"

Malachite held up a hand for some sort of silence. "I have no idea what's wrong with him," he stated, staring at them all. "He was fine yesterday, and the day before, and even in the early hours this morning, as you all know. I am no more aware of what really set him off than you guys." And all eyes turned to Helios.

The baffled priest held up his hands, palms up. "Why do you always assume I have all the answers when it comes to Endymion?"

"Because whenever Mal doesn't, you usually do," Nephrite replied steadily.

Helios sighed deeply. "It could be something to do with part of him still being stuck in the dream phase," he mused after a moment. The looks he got caused a little smile to crack on his face. "That is, however, highly unlikely. And there wouldn't be a doubt in my mind if that were the case, gentlemen. It's probably just that he feels thinly spread, as well as the fact that in two days time he'll be eating breakfast with his mother and father in Amaranta. That's bound to be a cheery experience..."

"I'd forgotten about going to Amaranta...that explains everything then," Nephrite said mildly. "The High Council of Terra meets before winter days plunder all the castle's warmth...surely Endymion's excited there. Additionally, his relationship with the High King and Queen has never been quote 'cheery'. A little more appreciation on their part..." Nephrite trailed off and the others nodded. It had never been a secret from any of them, even Jadeite, that Endymion and his parents shared a strained bond, if it could be called even that. Of course, the garren who'd been around the longest had the best idea of why that was. Malachite and Helios, to be precise, knew exactly why Endymion would never say he loved his parents. The reason was something they carried with them forever, something they didn't tell the other garren because the others never asked. Yet everyone knew the time would come...

Zoisite sighed, the first sign of life within him. "Well, I'd better get on task before Endymion gets in the study and doesn't find me there. I'd never be able to find him in return..." The group of Endymion's protectors broke apart to go about their daily duties.

- -

Endymion began to mutter to himself almost immediately after he could be sure the others were out of ear shot. Of course, he hadn't taken into account or even remembered that Rini still existed. His exhausted brain, still fuzzy with a ferocious undercurrent of thoughts and worries, didn't feel another presence in his room. But then, it didn't even acknowledge he'd slipped from Terranaia into Old Language.

'Terranaia..._that's_ what they've all been speaking!' Something within Rini clicked. She KNEW it hadn't been the language of Crystal Tokyo...no, this came long before the time that all languages from the Previous Earth, or the Earth previous to the calamity Rini's mother had saved it from, had been compiled together to form a Basic language. Terranaia was another ancient language of the Old Earth, from an almost legendary time where the other planets had lived and without the aid of Neo-Queen Serenity's Imperium Silver Crystal. Though Terranaia's age was nothing compared to that of Old Language, which was the epitome of 'old'. Old Language, the language from before time itself, made men with canyons for faces look newly born by comparison... 'It's kind of odd that Endymion knows Old Language...no one but Mama and Papa and the senshi know it...and even the senshi know it only in moderation. But then, it's odd for him to know Terranaia and be speaking it. _Surely_ this isn't a time when it's still a living 

language?!'

As Rini's thoughts stopped out of shock, Endymion's flowed forward from his mouth. "-temper. Zoi'll be quiet all week now thanks to my own stupidity. Which means I'll be forced to do my own research. There's no one to blame but myself...and Ren. Yes, I can blame Ren...after all, she's not here to defend herself..." Rini had to admit- she almost sniggered. Almost. She caught herself, however. She didn't know who this 'Ren' person was but she didn't really feel sorry for her. After all, whoever she was, the mere thought of her managed to throttle Endymion enough to get him back to his senses. It was only right, Rini rationalized, that she allow Endymion some sort of feeling that he had won in some way. She doubted whomever 'Ren' was would allow this feeling to last for any extended period of time anyway. Why should Rini be the one to disappoint him when he was so obviously pouring his heart and soul out into his little scenario right now. "-and there was that time she told Mal on me for purposefully stepping on her toes...although that was quite petty of me, but still, she deserves SOMETHING for all those nasty little things she did to me! Doesn't she?? I say some blame is in order..."

Rini, taking a deep yet quiet breath, slowly made her way towards the bookcase, as well as the corner with Endymion's crown in it. She wished to study it and his literature much closer, and he was still too absorbed in his ramblings to notice her. He was hap hazardously throwing on clothes, muttering about the injustices of threats that weren't empty. "Malachite has absolutely NO right to set his sister on me, as well as no authority...why do I listen? Why do I allow myself this humiliation? ...yes, it's true, she WOULD tear me apart if anything I did to Zoisite in turn upset Amaya enough to have Amaya go to her for condolence. Perhaps I should have a talk with Amaya about how if Zoi ever should be killed in the line of duty, even by my hands, that it might be best to keep it from Ren...no, that'd be silly...they all confide in her...damn..."

Rini absently smiled, then turned her head back to the circlet of a crown Endymion donned during rituals and ceremonies and balls. The fact the crown wasn't part of his wardrobe each day told Rini he was even more similar to her father. He never felt comfortable in a crown...but then neither did her mother; it was a requirement for the Queen to show her power in some form. The Royal Crest on Serenity's forehead, apparently, didn't satisfy the public enough. As Rini would be inheriting the crown, she was already being tutored on the proper way to carry that heavy weight on both her shoulders and her head. Rini was still four and a half years from being the official court age of ten- that was why her parents had no ground to force her into wearing formal dresses day in and day out. Not that the Queen and King ever really tried to force her into a dress...both always said they preferred the freedom of unofficial dress. And on the rare occasions the family got away for a weekend, there was always a thorough dress-down. Yet, formal wear or not, Rini couldn't get out of balancing the heavy crown atop her pink hair. If the crown the tutors meant for her to practice with looked as pretty as Endymion's, she thought, she might not complain as much.

Rini enjoyed simple beauty; everything was fancy when you were a princess, so simple yet elegant appealed to her aesthetic sense. Endymion's crown was about an inch thick, and solid gold. It was engraved all around with what resembled silver vines, though Rini expected it was actually white gold. The detail to the vines made even some of the most extravagant works of art Rini'd been forced to admire look plain. Rini smiled fondly- to be attached to one's planet was a 

necessity of a good ruler, so it was implemented in even the clothes they wore. The more connections available, the better. At the center of the circlet, a dark, magnificently green jewel glinted mischievously at her. If Rini hadn't already been used to a particular jewel which seemed to have a mind of its own, she might have been startled by the personification. However, her mother's gem had the same habit of almost winking at her. It became annoyingly unnerving after a while... The striking Earth gem was set in a similar silver/white gold pattern as the rest of the crown implemented. All in all, Rini envied Endymion. Her own tiarra had never looked as inviting to wear- more like heavy. But then, Rini suspected, princes needed more persuasion to even wear crowns. Perhaps this was the way Endymion's parents apologized to the life he'd been born to live...Rini often wished her own would.

"So," Endymion's voice startled Rini out of her slowly churning memories, "I see you've found that cursed thing..."

"C-cursed?" Rini couldn't help her voice from faltering. Endymion thought it odd that this child looked danger, enemies, strangers in the eye steadily but lost her voice at the mention of a common magic spell. Well, not common, but familiar...

"Not really," Endymion smiled sheepishly from his side of the room. Rini almost snapped her fingers in dismay that he'd realized she was present. She'd spent too much time admiring one thing to look at much else. There was always later, she assumed... "See anything else of interest?" Rini's eyes snapped up to look directly in Endymion's. Could he read minds?

"Mmmm..." she glanced around at his crown. She wasn't really asking for an explanation, it told her enough. But she would rather explore on her own...and ask questions later.

"Yes, that thing..." he sighed, approaching her side. Rini felt a little put out by the fact that the table, of which she was shorter than, was towered over by Endymion. "Isn't yours as pretty?"

Rini felt the blood rush to her face before she could absorb what he said. He _knew_...he knew!! Could she run? Hide? Where...the key wouldn't work for another week, not properly...perhaps it would, Pluto had never specified a time restraint...yes, that was-

"Rini, I'm the Crown Prince of Earth, as you might've guessed. And I know something about what's going on with you through a terran power, aShlin. They're visions...almost like dreams...you may have experienced something like them before? Even heard about them from someone?" Rini gave no sign of even having heard him. Endymion knew she was listening, though, so he continued on. "I know you're from a different time, and I can guess it's far in the future. Beyond that, I don't know much except what you've told me and what I can conjecture from broken pieces I've seen. Now," he glanced down at Rini beside him. She was trembling fiercely, looking straight ahead. Her clenched fists told Endymion what to say next.

"You don't have to tell me anything yet." Endymion knelt in front of her, taking both shoulders in his hands, unable to watch her tremble any longer. "But whatever you are searching for, whoever you are trying to save, I can say without a doubt that the ones who love you would 

never allow their princess to wander an unknown, possible enemy territory alone. Therefore," Rini's wary look almost unnerved Endymion, "I would appreciate it if you stayed here, with us. And let us help you." Rini opened her mouth. Endymion wasn't sure what she meant to say (but then neither was she), yet still he interrupted before she could make a sound. "If anyone can understand the need to be independent in an endeavour of dire need, it is me. But neither I nor any of us, and by that I mean Helios, Nephrite, Zoisite, Jadeite, Malachite, and Rose, all of us want to see you safely back to your home or your next destination. We would be honored," Endymion took her hands, and bowed his head to them, "if you would grace us with your presence."

Rini waited a moment to think. Endymion could see her thoughts turning, feel them through her hands. He hoped she wouldn't refuse...she needed this training in aShlin almost as much as he needed her trained in aShlin. And having her understand the other powers that came along with being of Terran descent wouldn't harm either of them, or anyone else who crossed her path unknowingly as well.

Rini didn't sense the enemy. But then, she hadn't been able to _then_ either... Yet from somewhere within came the far away feeling of trust. This man, this prince...the comfort she felt in his presence, as well as that of his guard (they might be a little unnerving, but not as unnerving as others she'd met previously and come to love) was not coincidental. Destiny had its way with the outcome of the worlds. She was a toy of destiny, so she'd play along with what was said to be fate.

"I...thank you," Rini managed to speak. And she was greeted, warmly, by Endymion's smile.

"Good..." he glanced at the doors that led out of his room distractedly, then looked back to Rini. "There's one more thing I ask of you: will you train with Rose?" The blank stare he received forced him to use all the restraints he had on his emotions for the sake of not laughing in Rini's face.

"Train with your sister?" Rini asked, as if she wasn't quite sure she grasped the concept. "Why ever would she want me around after yesterday..." 'Ah, Rini...yesterday is _exactly_ why she'd want you around.' But Endymion couldn't say that aloud.

"Oh, things like yesterday happen on a daily basis. Don't worry about it. As long as you're here, you might as well hone your skills, right?" Endymion said, dancing around the true answer. HE wasn't going to be the one to tell her that she needed to train up in order to keep her power in order.

Rini nodded a bit, smiled, and nodded some more as realization dawned on her that she _would_ be able to save her mother, and that everything in the world _could_ be alright someday. She looked towards Endymion.

"Now," he said, clapping his hands together expectantly, a strained smile on his face, "I get to go work with Zoisite. Try to stay within this wing of the palace for now, and if you get 

lost, ask anyone how to get back to the Rose Corridor, and they'll lead you here. I should be finished around the High Hour...so we can eat together then. The kitchens are just two halls away if you get hungry before then..." Endymion glanced down at Rini again. "After I've finished with Zoi, I'll look for Lady Marganta again..." Grimly, Endymion sighed at the prospect. That woman was harder to find than...than...Ren when she played hide and seek!

- -

Zoisite slammed shut another book loudly as Helios casually entered the abandoned study. He glanced at the exhausted Zoisite and wondered if the circles under his own eyes were as prominent... "Slow going?" he queried. Zoisite, in response, snorted. Helios stole his regular spot on the end of the table. "Need any help?" The words came out of his mouth with such ease Helios wondered if he ever really _did_ think before he spoke. As if he had the time to help anyone with everything on his own plate. He should have spent the previous day doing work. Instead he'd found himself wandering the palace with Endymion and the ever-mysterious child, procrastinating until he found himself unable to, which coincided with about the time he left the dreamscape and came to realize it was a couple turns until dawn.

Yet Zoisite's hopeful gaze prohibited him from taking back his offered assistance. With a grand sigh, Helios jumped off the table and sat next to Zoi. "These are the documents Endymion has to proof before taking them before the Council, this is something for Minesstro Cardelli personally, these are..." Zoisite, aside from being in Endymion's Garren, had still another tiring job. Often, Helios wondered how the man lived and still managed to, even while exhausted, maintain a look of serene calmness (except, of course, at that moment when the worry lines were threatening to crease Zoisite's forehead permanently). Helios worked as High Priest-that was enough for him. Zoisite, even before becoming an official Garren member, had been raised to become one of the High Council of Terra, following in his grandfather, the Minesstro Adine's, footsteps. Minesstro Cardelli, a close friend of Zoisite's grandfather, took him on as an apprentice when Zoi was only 13 (which was remarkable, as most minesstros didn't train men younger than 30 for their positions). Since then, along with work as a Garren, Zoisite worked for the Minesstro as well. Helios always had to fight the urge to tell Zoi he was lucky to be so close to the Terran royalty himself, because often Zoisite's ties to Endymion only caused him more problems and therefore, more paperwork.

As they slowly made their way through the stacks, something caught Helios's eye...a book that didn't quite belong. "Zoi...why are you looking up different stones?" One of Helios's eyebrows rose, and Helios allowed his own mind to wander a bit as Zoisite's tired one took in the book and attempted to remember his reasoning for having it out. It was custom with many civilizations, as well as popular, to name at least one child after a rare stone. Many of the population of Terra were named for gems and jewels of sort-the Terrans found it as a way of thanking Ceres for Her treasured gift of children. Helios himself found it odd, but Zoi and Nephrite had always been the more superstitiously religious sort...perhaps things were going smoother with Amaya than Zoi had let on. Or...

"Rini's mother...you and Endymion said she was in some sort of crystal. I was trying, and failing miserably I might add, to figure out what she'd been placed in. But we don't even have 

any books on the Sailors...not even the fairytales...so I thought perhaps I'd find it somewhere in one of these." Zoisite gestured to some of the books Helios had missed, which were indeed about stones and crystals. Helios flipped through some of the pages hesitantly. He didn't want to ask how Zoisite, within the few odd hours he'd even known about Rini's mother's predicament, had found any time to pull a couple books from the library. Helios had long before decided there was an unwritten rule of protocol prohibiting his asking that question. Otherwise, he was sure, he would have mastered whatever magic Zoisite used to stay awake and aware.

"Zoi," he broke the silence after a moment of staring intently at the book's pages. The scratch of Zoisite's quill stopped, and Helios didn't bother to look up from the page he was examining. "How about I take this little project off your hands?"

"What?"

"Well, you only know in theory what Rini's mother is in. I happened to see what it looked like, and that definitely helps. Plus, with the High Council meeting in Amaranta at the end of Jupitezum is just in 1 week and you never have any time to spare during the Council's meeting. Plus you'll be gone in Amaranta that entire time. Meanwhile, we have to forget Rini's mother. I'll do this, alright?" Helios looked up to meet Zoisite's reluctant yet thankful eyes. "That way we have more of a chance of success in both the Council and helping Rini."

"Alright..." Zoisite agreed, smiling wanly. "But if it gets to be too much for you, Helios, don't hesitate to come back to me..." With a wave of his hand, Helios re-immersed himself in the book. Anything to help that little girl...

- -

Endymion left soon after his talk with Rini. Although he thought he'd planted a perfectly optimistic look on his face, Rini saw right through it into the frazzle. Once again she was reminded of her father- he always thought he was extra-good at being a stone wall, but she and Mama were just too good by this point in time to fall for that trick. Rini was struck by how well her Papa's parents had named him...if this Crown Prince Endymion of Earth was her father's namesake, her Grandmama and Grandpapa had surely done their share of research...

"Anyway," she spoke aloud, turning back to the magnificent room before her, "he just doesn't like meetings with Zoisite, I'm sure. Shan't let it bother me." With a gleeful grin, she looked meaningfully towards the bookshelves. She had at least until High Noon to sort through those books, and begin to decipher at least 2 new languages...

"Ezra, you chIAAAAAAA!" A middleaged woman strode into Endymion's room, only to see Rini and drop her half of the trunk she was carrying in surprise.

"Lady Marganta!" a young voice, who's owner was covered by the door, screeched as the heavy trunk thudded to the ground. It was quite obvious the trunk required two people for it to remain mobile.

Rini scuttled away from the bookcase she'd edged towards earlier, quite as startled as Lady Marganta and her young companion, a dark haired youth of 14 with large, bright eyes and who Rini guessed was Ezra. She wondered how Endymion, she, and the others could have missed the woman. Her imposing nature seemed to give off an atmosphere of importance and authority. The woman did not have any incredible features to give her such an atmosphere; her clothes were practical, not pretty, her face slightly wrinkled and rather plain, her dark hair streaked with grey and pulled back into a tight knot. All the same, even Rini felt like bowing in this woman's presence. No wonder Ezra seemed so troubled standing by her. Rini pitied the girl almost as much as she pitied herself, who was at the opposing end of Lady Marganta's glare.

"Explain. Now." The woman bellowed to Rini's astonishment. Had she ever been talked to that way before? ...No, not that she could recall. There had been that one incident with- "Speak, you, or can't you?" Rini almost wished she couldn't.

"Well, Endymion told me to wait in here-" Rini hadn't realized the other two had sucked in their breath until she was halfway through her sentence, when Lady Marganta blustered it back out again.

"How DARE you refer to his Highness so...freely! That's a week in the kitchens, that is! Now hurry back along. I don't know what you were up to here, but obviously no good. And don't give me ANY buts, missie, you're lucky it's not a MONTH on kitchen duty for your lack of manners and well as your out-of-zoning AND-" Rini trembled under the woman's steady gaze, "-your lack of proper wardrobe. Misdemeanours like that can cost you your JOB, as I'm sure you've been told many times. Or perhaps you're new?" Rini nodded fervently, if only to see a little softness appear on the face before her. "Ezra, lead the way for her. Make sure she doesn't get into any FURTHER trouble... Report back here as soon as you've finished with her."

Ezra acknowledged the woman's order by grabbing Rini's hand, and dragging her out into the hallway.Rini watched, almost in slow motion, as she was dragged farther and farther away from the zone of the place that was anything close to recognizable. If she'd passed an open door with a familiar face in it, Rini might have decided to make a noise. But as none of the doors were even open, she wasn't given the chance. So Rini continued on after the girl, unsure of everything at that point. What in the name of the Goddess did you say to someone dragging you by the arm? She desperately wanted to ask at least where Ezra would be dropping her off. But then, she had no desire to become decapitated for asking questions. Rini's keen eyes had witnessed servants being told off by elder servants for querying. Avoiding confrontation seemed Rini's best bet. In order to do such, Rini needed to figure out a plan of action. Think militarily...or at least ahead of time.

So this girl obviously thought Rini worked somewhere in the palace. At some point, Ezra would have to ask Rini, at which point Rini could (hopefully) right things and say she was...

What was she? Endymion's guest? No one but the Garren and Rose knew she was there, and if this palace was run anything similar to hers, Ezra wasn't going to bother to ask them. She'd just throw her out for 'lies'. Then what could Rini do? Being this close to royalty and resources meant she had the best chance to find the Silver Crystal. Outside the palace...well, if it came to 

that, she'd just figure a way around it. Persevere. Or perhaps she could wait for Endymion to realize she was gone. But that was relying on others, of which Rini had explicitly told herself she would not do. Rini began to chew on her lip out of frustration and thought, not noticing that she and Ezra had stopped and Ezra now stared down at her, puzzled.

"Girlie," Rini looked up, startled, as Ezra poked her side faintly. Ezra jumped equally as much. This surprised Rini more than the kind, almost motherly look Ezra's shy face now held. Rini was reminded of one of her mother's younger maids, Aexa, who had always been one of the kindest elder girls Rini had known. Although within court, a servant's role was often etched in stone, Rini didn't hold with the ideals of court. Her mother seemed to have problems with them as well, which half lent Rini the courage to go outside the lines drawn for her. A few special servants at home, who regarded Rini as a person and not a crown, treated Rini as a member of their own families. The familiar look they all gave her filled Ezra's strange, dark eyes. Rini suspected that this girl had one of those rare, truly kind hearts. "Don't startle me like that," the girl said, one hand to her heart, smiling shyly. Rini gave her an apologetic look but wasn't quite ready to speak. "Sorry about having to hurry you over here, but my aunt would kill me if she knew I was even talking to you and I have a limited amount of time anyway... You're a curious little girl, so I was wondering, who are you? You're not related to any of the maids, to my knowledge, and you're new, so-"

Rini caught her breath, and before she lost her nerve, managed to say, "I'm visiting his Highness. I'm his..." Rini tried to brandish some control over her voice, as well as thoughts. Luckily, the training she'd despised for the last three years came to her mind, and suddenly her regal stance took over and Rini found herself standing tall with her chin raised, back straight, head high, and most importantly, voice strong. Rini only hoped it was possible for Endymion to have cousins..."Cousin. I'm visiting my cousin, quite unexpectedly I'm afraid."

The skeptic eyebrow was barely visible, which meant good things for Rini and her skills as a...truth stretcher. After all, she was surely related to Endymion somehow. At the least she was related to his crown. "Why didn't Lady Marganta know you then? You can't tell me she didn't recognize you, my aunt forgets no one." Ezra crossed her arms, looking down at Rini expectantly.

"We looked all over for her yesterday, but never found her," Rini answered truthfully. "I slept in En-his Highness's chamber last night and we expected to find Lady Marganta today."

"I see..." the suspicion moved out of Ezra's expression. Rini was lucky, she thought. Ezra seemed to be the trustful type. Many servants who worked at home never found that kind of trust within their hearts. Rini thanked the Heavens Ezra had accompanied her aunt that morning. "Still, you probably need to get fit for some clothes..." Ezra continued, grabbing Rini's hand as Rini's head snapped back to look at the elder girl. Clothes? As in servant clothes? As in she'd be WORKING as a servant and never find her way back to Endymion's corridor?? "I believe you, but if my aunt found you before his Highness explained the situation, not only would you be doomed, I'd be in for it as well. At least if you're dressed like me, she'll think you're on your way to do your job." Ezra smiled as Rini sighed in relief. "Follow me!" With a look that could've matched a young child's, Ezra sprang forward and Rini had to run in order to even catch a 

glimpse.

Rini wasn't really aware of where she was being led until she was looking around at a less-decorative part of the castle. Servant's quarters, she realized. 'Well, they're not too bad off...' she couldn't help but think. Ezra had slowed to a stop in front of one of the doors. Rini watched expectantly as she opened it.

The interior, though not nearly as large as Endymion's chamber, looked about the size of 1/4 of Rini's room at home. It was well furnished, and though not as elegant and princey, Rini found herself struck by the thought 'home' upon entering. Which was strange, considering Endymion's room so reminded her of her own father. That another complete stranger managed to also occupy a room that reminded her of her own palace was quite odd, at the least. Rini could only wonder though.

Ezra hurried across the wood floors, which creaked as she walked, toward the dark chest of drawers. Glancing around in curiosity, Rini found another bookcase with books. She turned back to Ezra in order to ask about them to find the older girl strewing clothes all around the room, searching for something that would fit Rini. "Way too big...too big...too long..."

"Ezra," Rini began, in order to ask her about the assortment of books. It was not an often occurrence to find books in servant's rooms. All of those who worked at Rini's palace were literate, yes, and had books, but this wasn't the 30th century. It wasn't even the 20th.

"By the way, what's your name?" Ezra didn't seem to have heard Rini and was still sorting through her drawers.

"Rini. Ezra, what are all these books?" Rini had approached the bookcase to take a closer look. THESE books might tell her where she was, as she couldn't get near Endymion's now.

"Oh," Ezra turned around and gave the books a fond smile. "My father was a scholar of sorts. A philosopher, really. He taught me to read when I was young, and any spare time and money I have are spent with those books. Here we are, this seems about right." Rini looked nervously at the garment Ezra held. It was a long, cream night-gownish dress. She was supposed to look like a worker in a night gown? Ezra, much to Rini's surprise, started laughing hysterically. Rini could only guess it was at her face. "This is the under dress. See?" Ezra lifted up her own brown dress to reveal the same sort of dress as the one she wore underneath. "You must not be from nearby..."

Rini shook her head adamantly as she took the dress. "That figures. Now let me see if I have any over dresses that are short enough...I might have to hem one quickly." Rini slipped the dress on over her head, carefully laying the shirt Endymion had lent her to sleep in aside. He'd probably want it back. Rini looked down at herself and cringed. The cream nightgown thing layered at her feet, hanging off her and allowing enough fabric for a second dress. She stared helplessly at Ezra's back as the other girl searched through her wardrobe among the many identical, brown dresses. "Aha! Here's one! A little long, perhaps, but-" Ezra turned back to Rini and laughed once more. Rini felt color tint her face. "Oh don't," Rini said, almost feeling like 

crumbling.

"Rini-rini, it's okay, I'll just quickly shorten it, no harm done," Ezra chuckled, and returned to her wardrobe. Rini stared dejectedly at the ground. The other returned with a large sewing basket, scissors, and a wicked grin. "This'll take 10 minutes tops. My aunt can miss me for that long..."

As Ezra snipped off bits and pieces of the dress, Rini began to ask her curious questions. She wanted to know where Ezra had lived, what her family was like, what life was like here, how long she'd been there, if she had any pets even...

"Well, I lived in Amaranta until I was about your age. My dad worked at the palace in the library-I'm sure you've heard about Amaranta's Library." Although Rini hadn't, she nodded affirmatively. "Anyway, he and my mother both came down with some odd disease. I did too, but I survived. Can't say the same for Mom and Dad. So I came here when I was six to live with my aunt. She's been teaching me, almost as an apprentice. She plans on giving me her position once I'm old enough to take on the responsibility. As is, I wouldn't be able to handle it. There," with a final snip of the scissors, Rini looked down and found she wasn't standing in a mound of cloth anymore, but could see her feet. Ezra had even hemmed along the way.

"My mother had been a dress maker," Ezra continued, pulling the darker dress over Rini's head. "One of the best in Amaranta. She was my aunt's sister. They used to work here together, my mother as a seamstress and aunt as one of the maids. When my mother married my father, she went with him to Amaranta. My aunt didn't really take to my father, so I hadn't even really met her before I came here. Maybe once or twice, briefly. Even so...she loved my mother dearly, you see, and loved me because of my mother. She treats me like her own daughter most of the time. I can't really say I treat her like I did my own mother, but she's like a mother to me." As Rini looked down into Ezra's eyes as the other girl fastidiously sewed, Rini recognized the love and endearment of family. She found she rather missed that look reflecting in her family's eyes. 'I'll have it back in no time,' she told herself affirmitively, so as not to cry. "What about you?" Rini looked down into Ezra's gaze, now directed straight into Rini's rose eyes.

"I'm...a long way from home," Rini said finally, hoping Ezra wasn't the type to pry further. "I need Endy-his Highness's help, to save my mother."

"I see...Well, if ever you need-" A loud banging erupted from Ezra's closed, and locked, door. "Oh Rayda," Ezra cursed, "I'm in for it now, being in my room an hour after work begins... Wait one second!" As the girl headed for the doors, Rini dove under a nearby bed. Listening to Ezra's discipline made Rini wince. But what made her feel even worse was the sound of the door shutting once more, and complete silence flooding the room.

Rini was lost in the servant's quarters...in servant garb...and had absolutely no talent for any sort of cleaning, cooking, or anything domestically related. Her time in the palace as a servant was limited. Hopefully she could survive a day.

- -


	6. Chapter 6

_Different World of a Different Time  
_by Moonlight Eternal

- -

Chapitre 6

Endymion quickly plastered the fake smile on his face. The truth was, he was so tired he didn't care how unnatural it looked to the others in the room. At least they'd know he was making the attempt to remain friendly. And he severely hoped the others retained memories patchily, at least for the day. He wasn't sure he could deal with Zoisite being edgy around him all the time he was in Amaranta, which he was sure to do if he'd been offended in any way, shape, or form. It would be enough of a strain on Endymion to be in Amaranta, and calling it a strain was in all modesty. The additional stress of Zoisite avoiding him and having forced conversations where he only answered 'yes' and 'no' was not something he needed.

As his hand hesitated on the doorknob, Endymion checked himself up and down in the hall mirror. If his behavior earlier hadn't offended Zoi, being improperly dressed would. Endymion reassured himself, looking at his casual black slacks, black silken shirt, and deep red cape, that Zoisite would approve of the colors of the Crown Prince for this meeting. He'd have to, as Endymion didn't plan on changing again in front of a pair of rather observant rose-red eyes. He could seriously hit his head against the door a couple hundred times for forgetting that child was in his room. In all honestly, he _had_ forgotten she was there at all so he couldn't seriously be too angry with himself...

Sighing, and reapplying the smile, Endymion walked through the door into his familiar study/library setting. He didn't let the sight of what couldn't be less than 50 oddly large books stacked over the table he was supposed to occupy, or the papers that littered the surface, perturb his decision to remain positive. If only for the sake of remaining sane for lunch, he planned on getting this work done and doing it with a most happy smile firmly cemented across his slowly paling face.

He spotted Zoisite tiredly replacing a couple books on the shelves of the second story of the study's library. Helios was out of the general way, reading on the winding metal staircase. Oddly enough, the high priest was enraptured in whatever it was he studied. Endymion, on most occasions, would have mustered up some curiosity, but as the case was, he had one goal and anything to the side of said goal didn't meet his line of sight. "Helios, here's another book on stone spells," Zoisite called out wearily from above, turning from the vicinity he'd returned the other books to. Endymion noticed, with an edgy feeling of worry, that the weariness in Zoisite's voice was obvious. Zoi was another of those keep-it-all-inside types. Hearing the garren member actually have strain in his voice made Endymion wonder if Zoi had slept at all.

"Oh, Endymion, you made it." Zoisite leaned heavily on the banister and looked about ready to fall over the side. Endymion wondered faintly if he'd be asleep before he hit the floor.

"Sorry about earlier, Zoi," Endymion began, making his way over to the table and not looking up at him most guiltily. In truth, he regretted that he let his anger get the better of him, but he stood stubbornly behind his argument. The trouble with letting his anger go, he'd found these days, was not that others realized he was displeased. They SHOULD know he was a bit angry. The part that had him worried involved his powers. All his life, the teachings drilled into his solid skull had voiced control: control over himself, physically and especially mentally. Emotions, though sacred in private, were deceiving and, when it came to using powers such as aShlin, dangerous. So since the age of five Endymion's training consisted of the arts of 

swordsmanship, riding, magic, and controlling his emotions. The one class that never changed was the one about finding your center and never losing grip of it. Endymion was pretty sure fifteen years of training wouldn't have faded within 3 months. He sometimes wondered however, due to his recent _lack_ of center, if he had ever listened to those long instructions. Ever since his birthday, and the declaration of his completed official training, he'd been experiencing these bouts of powerful outbursts.

Not that slamming a door using magic was considered too excessive-none of the others would think twice about it really. He found himself most distressed about the power that had supplied his anger, and his lack of controlling _that_. And his lack of control only seemed to be getting worse as time wore on. Especially within the last couple of days, when his patience had begun to fray, he found himself less able to avoid using magic. Was it only all the stress, and not having teachers continuously beating his brains out over center? Or was it something else...like...

Endymion shook his head to clear it all away, all the suspicions and theories and feelings of hopelessness if he happened to be right. In any case, he needed to speak with Helios. He glanced over towards his friend, heavily engrossed in some book about stones (Endymion couldn't bring himself to wonder why) and decided that the perfect opportunity lay before him. He looked back to Zoisite, waiting for an answer to his apology.

"Don't worry, Endymion, I'm alive and we all have our moments," Endymion nodded, noticing the smile and acceptance to the softer voice. He turned towards Helios as Zoisite continued, "I'm actually not quite ready-but don't go anywhere!" The urgency that jumped into the garren's voice startled Endymion, and he looked up suddenly at the other, who seemed to regretting that he'd both said he wasn't ready as well as the fact that he'd told Endymion to do something.

Endymion would've found it amusing if he'd slept more. "I take it you'd like me to make myself comfortable, but not too comfortable seeing as you don't want me to fall asleep?" Zoisite's nod made Endymion rethink his sarcastic comment which included red hot pokers. Best not provoke the Zoi.

Instead, the Crown Prince turned to Helios, who seemed to be gagging in an attempt to not laugh. Endymion wished the high priest would laugh so he could prey on him. But all he could do at that moment in time was creep up on Helios, startle him, and then talk to him while he waited for Zoisite to finish up. Because it didn't matter how much he tried not to, it was inevitable that once Endymion sat down (even with hot pokers skilfully placed) he'd fall dead asleep. Therefore, chatting with Helios seemed the best idea of the day. Annoying Zoisite wasn't high on his priority list just then.

"Find anything of interest?" Endymion asked, taking a seat on the step below Helios's. He handed all the responsibilities of staying awake silently over to Helios. He was sure the High Priest would manage to cruelly rob him of any pleasures such as shut eye, even without any spoken requests.

"Something...but I'm really more concerned about you, Endy." It had been a mistake to 

talk to Helios, Endymion should have known THAT from the beginning. _He_ wasn't the type to forget all those lessons about center and how using excess magic often led to mishaps and problems with control. And he definitely wasn't the type to forget Endymion had been 7 feet from the door he'd blasted open and then meant to slam shut in Zoisite's face. Damn. "What happened this morning?" Endymion shrugged and shook his head, attempting to wave the question away. "Don't you dare try to tell me it was nothing, either." The stern look in Helios's eyes reminded Endymion, as he internally muttered, of a certain other light haired person. Two of them, to be precise...

"I'm not sure, Helios," Endymion finally admitted with a large sigh, once again trying to brush off the subject, "just feeling a bit overstretched and under rested, if you know what I mean." 'Now, please leave it at that.'

"I will not leave it at that, Endymion," Helios glared at Endymion, who in turn glared back. "You are being rash and reckless. I understand getting a little angry with Zoi, that's only natural sometimes," Zoisite pretended he wasn't listening and decided at that point to migrate to the other side of the study, "but you haven't lost control of your powers since we were ten... and I know that, as a result, you neither like nor mean to use any sort magic needlessly. So...?"

Again, Endymion sighed, but this time in all seriousness. Since Helios was asking, he might as well give the High Priest an answer to think on. Maybe Helios even had a way to coax him out of this odd fear he'd had growing inside him. "Helios, I think that Gaia's Crystal is having...odd effects on me. I've noticed a feeling, like my powers almost aren't my own, since you transferred its powers to me in Ceresum. Sometimes I think it's controlling me more than I it..." Helios stared wide eyed at his crown prince for a moment. That was...but it couldn't... "I know that sounds impossible, Helios, especially with you as my safe guard. But that's what I feel. And it's disturbing, to say the least."

"Endy...I've protected that crystal all my life, and I've never-"

"But it's never been made entirely, physically part of you Helios. I know everyone said it had synchronized with me when I was born, but apparently that wasn't the same as being part of me. At least not in the same way as that ceremony made it with me." Endymion looked at Helios knowingly. And Helios knew there was no use denying the truth.

Helios stood up abruptly, and walked down the twisted stair case, turned and knelt to Endymion, who'd followed him down out of worry. "With your permission, your Highness, I wish to examine Gaia's Crystal closely and, with your further authority, perform experimental spells on it."

Recognizing his formal address, Endymion squared his shoulders and resumed a more political stance. "Permission on both is granted, High Priest Helios I." Helios rose, his book in hand, turned and left the study just as Zoisite slammed a book shut above and cried, "This session between the Crown Prince Endymion I of Earth and Zoisite of Adine, Apprentice to the Minesstro Cardelli, and Garren Member of the Crown Prince Endymion I of Earth, now begins." Endymion held back the groan that had erupted in him at the sound of formal titles, even 

shortened ones. He despised formal titles, because, inevitably, they stood for some bit of freedom that was lost to him. The freedom, at this point in time, had to do with a certain amount of sleep. Endymion hoped that Rini was fairing better than he as Zoisite and he sat down and became hidden amongst the heaps of books and papers.

- -

It took Rini a good half hour before she managed enough courage to hesitantly stick her head out from under the bed. Out of nervous habit, she brought a hand up to her tangled, free locks and stroked. She looked around and resisted her second nervous habit of sticking her thumb in her mouth and sucking. Any sort of comfort would certainly have been welcomed by her, but she could really in no way justify acting like such an infant, no matter how lost she seemed to be in what she knew was an endless castle, much like her own palace was. You could wander that thing for days and still find entirely new wings and sections. Actually, Rini knew almost for certain she had explored about a third of her own palace in her five years...but she hadn't really begun that hobby until a year previous. Still, she didn't HAVE a year to try finding her way around Endymion's palace...

'Best just plan,' she told herself, yanking at her hair instinctively and pulling herself down onto the floor into a folded position. Continuing to soothingly pet her own hair, nimbly untangling the sleep tousled mass, she wondered faintly what the best course of action would be considered. She couldn't very well just waltz out of the servant's quarters and back towards the Rose Corridor. For one, she couldn't even waltz out INTO the servant's quarters. And besides not knowing the way back to Endymion's room even after managing to leave, she was fairly sure that with her luck she'd run into Lady Marganta and get into further trouble. Outstanding prospects. With a deep sigh of frustration, one which even to her own ears sounded both too loud in the silent room and too like an adult's, Rini glanced over towards Ezra's shut door.

She _could_ conceivably just stick around in the older girl's room until Ezra returned. She seemed the helpful sort, and surely servants had lunch breaks at the least. But would Ezra come back? Rini hated relying too heavily on something that she couldn't know for certain, but then, she wouldn't even be in the time period she was if she'd known things for certain...

'Speaking of which,' she thought, turning to look at the opposite end of Ezra's room. The whitewashed walls shone magnificently against the light wood floors and darker furniture. Rini realized now, as she stared at the room, it wasn't as large as she'd originally thought but still obviously met the basic needs most ordinary people had. Rini felt a little green about the ordinary part, but tried not to let it bother her too much. On a daily basis, at home, without a crisis, she could allow these childish thoughts to tally up in her mind. But as it was, no! Rini turned defiantly towards the tall bookcase that stood next to the single window of the room. With the shutters open wide, Rini had a grand view of what was one of the far sides of the palace. She noted that outside, it seemed to be in the season that she registered as fall. The trees standing beyond Ezra's window had an assortment of differently colored leaves, though Rini knew these leaves were dying. She felt sorry for the poor leaves... 'Ah, too many distractions!' Rini mentally slapped herself and looked back to the room and, more specifically, the shelving unit. It stood next to a desk of the same dark, smooth wood. The desk, too, stood piled high with books. To 

Rini's disappointment, half of them looked a bit too difficult for her. By age standards, she was an expert reader...but she felt her novice levels of understanding probably didn't match too well with books like _Psychosis of the Black Hetawin_ and _The Grandeur of Arbonne's Song_.

With a new bout of enthusiasm anyway, Rini fell to her knees before the case, paying no mind to the slight bit of dust she stirred. Her child's fingers grazed the tightly bound spines of many books, Rini eagerly taking in each title. Most of the books were written in Terranaia, which although she was sure would actually do her great amounts of good, dulled next to the shine of the books in Old Language she recognized. Happily, Rini flipped open the first book of Old Language, entitled _Lilithai nora Nay Anar_, meaning _Truths of the Face and Shadow_.

Five minutes later and completely at a loss, Rini replaced the book and hoped the next she pulled would not be so complicated. It was all well and good for her to read stories in Old Language which she recognized, but she did not qualify as enough of a linguist to understand odd tales about odd places...Kenzanik? Where in the world was that? Real world or not at all real? Rini scrambled for the next book before her thoughts took over and she lost all sense of what she knew to be true and knew to not.

- -

"-Jade has once again refused helping Thespa, although 3 of its 5 provinces border Thespa...the only good news there is that Lazuli has agreed to help for the time being, you have Lapis to thank for that little treaty, Endymion. She just saved you a mission to Jade, at least for a couple months' time. She'll be a great queen someday. Although from the look of Lazuli's production rate, we might have to add at least two of its provinces to the plea for help in Jade. Seems no one can hold up against the southern drought-"

"Zoi!" The tone of voice made Zoisite both jerk his head upwards uncomfortably, as well as spill his drink down his front (much to his own frustration). Endymion stood above him, taking deep breaths and still looking as if no air was reaching his head. How many times the prince had shouted his name in an attempt to get his attention, Zoi could not be sure, but he guessed the number was in an upper range...

"Endymion?" Zoisite kept his voice mild as he glanced around for something to wipe off his shirt.

"Lapis and I...we're not engaged!" Zoisite stopped trying to find some scrap of cloth in the study he himself kept immaculate, and turned back to the paper he'd been staring at for the last half hour in defeat. He glanced up at his superior and was slightly relieved Endymion was breathing easier, as if saying those words helped him.

"Yes, Endymion, I know that. We all know that. In fact," Zoisite looked up again, finally puzzled, "why would we think otherwise?" Zoisite watched over his stack of papers as Endymion sank back down into his chair, spluttering, and Zoisite too found himself at an utter loss for words in regards to what was disturbing his prince.

"But-but-you just said-!" Endymion looked about ready to jump out the window, and Zoisite hoped Endy remembered what floor they were on. After a moment, Endymion's voice returned to him and Zoisite listened, still studying the charts Endymion was supposed to know by heart. "The only way for Lapis to be queen is-"

"-for her to wait four years until she's of age to inherit her territory." Zoisite interrupted, trying to save time and get back to business. Honestly, hadn't it been Endymion who'd complained about doing this and here he was stalling? When he heard no more from Endymion for a couple moments, Zoisite glanced up to check on the prince. He looked lost, and Zoisite held back his sigh as he turned back to his duties once again and sincerely hoped Endymion would follow suit. "You know, Endy, it might help for you to pay attention to which ruler and heir's funerals you attend." Zoisite didn't need to see Endymion's blank look to know it was there. "The King and Crown Prince of Lazuli were both killed 7 years ago. That was the funeral you first used teleportation to get to because you overslept, remember?"

"You mean the funeral I meant to teleport to and ended up in Elysian for? Yes, I remember that clearly..." Endymion said sourly and with a note of 'that's the end of this conversation, don't ask' in his voice. The silence stretched on for only a couple minutes, however, as both of them knew it would. It was quite impossible to remain silent when you had to share information. Silence also seemed to be a little known concept amongst the Garren.

"Right, so, Lazuli may also require aid towards I would say Lunaine, Matronalia at best. We should probably put in a good word to the Minesstros of Anda...if only Jade would be a bit more lenient with Thespa all our troubles in this arena would be-"

"Are you going to marry Princess Amaya?" Usually, Zoisite would at least analyze someone's tone of voice before reacting. But in this case, he once again snapped his head upwards with his mouth wide open, lost his balance, and toppled out of his chair. The loud clatter, as well as Zoisite pulling half his pile of papers with him, led Endymion to suspect he'd touched on something.

When the Garren of Intelligence resurfaced, his face was just as red as Endymion's had been minutes before, and no lack of oxygen could be blamed. "M-marry Amy-Her Highness of Mercury?! W-where is this coming from, Endymion?" At any other time, Endymion would have laughed at Zoisite's obvious embarrassment. But his thoughts were too knotted to allow him the pleasure. He had already stood up again, and was walking around an oddly shaped oval version of the study.

"I think...no, actually, I can be positive of this, that Mother and Father," Zoisite's senses peaked at the mention of the High Kind and Queen, "are going to bring up my becoming affianced with...someone. Anyone, actually, I am pretty sure they won't care. But...the more I think on the subject, the more and more I find myself retreating and drawing back. Marriage," at this Endymion looked over towards the most put together member of the Garren out of trust and desperation, "it isn't a bad thing, right? I've just turned it INTO some sort of demon..."

At the point where he'd realized this conversation was not Endymion trying to infiltrate 

Zoisite's relationship for others in the group (Helios and Malachite came to mind...), nor was he trying to get out of finishing up at least some of the catch-up work required before the High Council meeting, Zoisite had straightened up and begun taking in all Endymion said once more. "No, marriage isn't a bad thing, it..." Zoisite sighed and decided dancing around the subject would get him no where and tell Endymion next to nothing. "Endymion, may I ask, how _is_ your relationship with Lapis right now? I know you too have been...intimate lately, and-"

Endymion looked aghast that Zoisite had brought up the subject of Lapis again. "No, everything's great with Lapis, _that's_ not it. I just...can't see myself marrying her. Or anyone, for that matter. Being married strikes me as...intimidating, at best."

Zoisite rolled his eyes. Why was he not surprised? "Endy, listen to me, someday you'll look into that person's eyes, the person you're meant to spend the rest of eternity tied to, and the thought of spending all the eons together warms your heart completely."

"But..." Endymion looked stricken at Zoisite's words, not relieved. "I love Lapis, Zoi. I truly do. But..." The words did not seem capable of leaving the prince's mouth.

"Is there someone else?" Zoisite remained straight forward.

There was no lie in Endymion's voice or eyes when he jumped about a foot in the air and yelled, "NO! Zoisite, who do you take me for? I would never-"

"Be with someone when you love another? Yes..." Zoisite surveyed Endymion for a moment. "I can't see you doing that consciously."

"Consciously?" The edge was rising in the prince's voice. "Are you suggesting-"

"And once again I am SO glad I decided to not get involved in the politics of the High Council meeting. You could cut the air in here with Helios's sword, and we all know how dull THAT is..." Malachite grinned as he entered the room, happy Helios wasn't around to curse him to oblivion for such a comment. When no one else reacted, however, Malachite cleared his throat a bit, straightened up, then looked towards his prince. "Anyway, Endymion you DO know Marganta's on the rampage in you room, right?"

It took a moment for the thought to register on the Endymion scare-o-meter. "WHAT?!"

- -

The loud knock at Ezra's door forced Rini out of her silent, sorrowful revere and into something close to panic. Would she be in trouble yet again for being somewhere she wasn't supposed to be but all the same was told to stay put there by others? 'Maybe, when no one answers, they'll just go away...' Rini hoped, slowly shutting the open book in her lap, and replacing it to its proper home. She prayed she'd not have to dive under that bed again...for all that Ezra was a maid, she seemed to sure make a habit of pushing dust bunnies under there.

Much to Rini's surprise and great unease, the person on the opposite end of the door did not seem to be taking the hint that no one, or at least not someone they meant to see, was inside. After a couple seconds of it, Rini heard a young male voice calling out for Ezra. She quickly took to her spot under the bed, using all the strength of will she possessed to not shout out, "She's not home!" Finally, the pounding eased and Rini suspected whoever it was had lost interest, or finally realized that Ezra actually DID work her shifts.

Of course, Rini was wrong about this. When she heard the door open seconds later, she knew not to leap out from her hiding place. Plus, the feet she saw from her spot under the bed did not belong to Ezra, nor to any woman. Unless, of course, they were a rather tall woman with rather mannish looking boots on...even so, not Ezra. It took her a moment to realize that if this man, as she could almost definitely assume he was, had taken the steps to enter Ezra's room in search of her, nothing stopped him from looking under the bed, the most cliché of hiding spots. At least, that's what her mother had called it that time she and Rini had hid from Rini's father so he wouldn't know they'd been the ones to raid his chocolate stash. And of course the result of their hiding there was King Endymion actually checking to make sure...that had not ended as well as the queen had hoped. Perhaps though, Rini rationalized, this boy was not searching for Ezra in a game of hide-and-go-seek but just curious of her whereabouts and just checking her room to...make sure she hadn't fainted or something! Yes, that was it!

Rini decided it would be the best for everyone if she just shut her mind up. The silence of her inner thoughts rendered her to hearing what was happening outside in the room, where whomever was standing there had taken to muttering incessantly. "-said that it had just been a kiss on the cheek, she should know Nirabe means nothing to me. And besides, she was being _awfully _sweet and talkative with Michaelus yesterday in the kitchens. Don't I have a right to be kind to other girls if she's going to be that way with other men? I mean-" Rini didn't even try to resist rolling her eyes. This conversation sounded somewhat familiar. Whoever this jealous boy was, and Rini suspected him to be at the very least Ezra's boyfriend, his way of reassuring himself sounded something like Endymion's attempt to justify the argument that morning.

"What's this?" Rini's heart skipped a beat as she watched the boots turn towards the bed, and walk right up to it. The toes of his shoes were less than a foot from her nose, but Rini was rolled so tightly in a ball, and surely just as dusty as any of the bunnies around her, she wasn't too worried about him hitting her. Relaxing a bit, she went to draw in a slight breath and stopped short as she realized what item could have caught the attention of a jealous boyfriend searching desperately for his girlfriend or, even better, evidence. 'ENDYMION'S SHIRT!' A couple crude swears from the man later, Rini was frantically sure that was what this was all about.

And she could be quite sure she wasn't mistaken about the next fact either; she was going to be witness to a horrendous fight between Ezra and whoever this guy was as soon as Ezra returned. Rini couldn't say she looked forward to this in ANY way, shape, or form.

"My goddess..." Endymion said as the door to his room swung open. He'd always wondered why and how girls could faint from great shock (though none of the women in his life seemed to be too inclined to do that) but suddenly Endymion wished more than anything he was 

female so he'd have an excuse to fall backwards into a dead sleep and not wake up for a couple minutes. Hopefully, the state his quarters were in would then be fixed. 'Note to self: the next time Ren makes any sort of comment about wishing to be a man, counter with your wanting to be a woman.'

"Ezra, could you fetch the ceremonial sword hanging above the mantle? Her Majesty requested he dress in style so-"

"Your Highness!" Endymion watched his least favorite vase smash to pieces at the feet of the meek, 14 year old girl. Previous to that, he'd have raised Hell with her as well as Lady Marganta, but now he felt somewhat indebted to her as he'd been meaning to break that particular creation himself. Still, he could not be distracted. Who knew what things he might have actually _liked_ had been destroyed in such a manner?

Endymion didn't bother with any formalities, he just stared the head of Household straight in the eyes. Ezra, of course, was practically lying on the ground due to her deep curtsy, but Marganta would never stoop so low for a man. She bowed her head slightly, made a sad excuse for a curtsy, and returned to staring down Endymion. _Why_ could he never receive any respect from people he actually wanted it from?

"Your Highness," Mrs. Marganta said placidly, staring at him like a cat who'd just found her prey.

"Lady of the Household," Endymion said through gritted teeth. Of course, he spends all of the previous afternoon searching for her and now she appears, ransacking his room. "To what do my possessions owe this honor of your presence?"

She sniffed a bit at his obvious sarcasm, but made no comment to it. "Your Highness's trip to Amaranta, of course," she answered. At any other time on any other given day with any other missing person, Endymion would have argued that he was perfectly capable of packing his belongings for a trip, and he'd have continued forward to regard her excess packing as something of unintelligent and other such names, but as all these fun insults began to appear in his mind, he scanned the room. And realized what was missing. Or whom, at least (many things were missing except he knew where they were, as evidenced by their sticking out of his many trunks).

"Lady Marganta," Endymion attempted a slight smile, but in light of the panic slowly rising from the pit of his stomach, he feared it had come out as a grimace, "by any chance, have you seen a small girl of about five with hair to match Rose's?"

"Oh, the roaming servant girl?" Endymion liked neither the way Lady Marganta worded the phrase nor the disapproving tone accompanying her words. So Endy could be rather sure he wasn't going to like the answer. "I sent her with Ezra to get changed and put back to work. I'm rather surprised your Highness noticed her and, for that matter, didn't reprimand her or send her to me. Imaging how your Lady of Household feels when such a creature is caught snooping around his Highness's things...it leaves a bad taste in my mouth to just speak of it."

"Oh ye GODS!" Endymion shouted when he got his voice back. "Marganta," he ignored the horrified look on his former nanny's face, "_where_ did she go?!" Before the lady could even begin to sputter indignantly, Ezra spoke up, as if she'd been working up her courage for the last five minutes.

"If you please, your Highness," Ezra curtsied again when he turned to look towards her. "I left her in my chamber for the time. I could retrieve her for your Highness." The relief that swept through the young prince could not have been more obvious. Before he could even reply, Ezra sprang forward, remembered another curtsy, then leapt out the door. Lady Marganta made some muttering comment about youth, but Endymion didn't even care to remind her of it.

To herself, Ezra smiled. She was happy to learn of her prince's attachment to his cousin, though for what reason she would never be able to answer.

- -

Distractedly, Helios strayed through the corridors. He seemed to be in a sort of limbo of thought, somewhere between making a breakthrough and searching blindly through unfamiliar mists of ideas. He held the book he'd borrowed from the library in front of him, and had his head bent as though he was reading, but truly he was attempting to decide what to do first. Honestly, if he had known Endymion was having such trouble with the crystal, he never would have offered to take some of the stress off Zoisite's shoulders. Because although Rini and her mother deserved and needed the help just as much as anyone, Helios's true loyalty had to be to his country, planet, and therefore his soon-to-be High King. Not that he'd have left it all to Zoi, he'd have convinced Mal or Neph to help. Now, however, he'd taken full responsibility. He refused to shirk Rini's problem aside. He could multi-task...

The yelp from in front of him only phased his thoughts somewhat, but it was enough to alarm his body into motion. Helios's head shot up to see who/what he'd crashed into while he'd been thinking about how well he'd been avoiding doing just that. "Helios!" Rose exclaimed with unmasked exasperation from the ground.

"Oh, sorry, Princess Rose-Quartz," Helios said sheepishly, offering her his hand. She scowled at him as she accepted his help. He knew the lecture that was sure to follow, and sighed internally. Why did he have to be so stubborn when it came to addressing her?

"Helios, first off, I'm not referred to as Princess anymore, it's Priestess. Secondly-"

"Actually, you _are_ still technically a princess and that rank is equal to a priestess, so you may be referred to as either one..."

"SECONDLY," Rose glared at him, and Helios shut his mouth. He knew if the others were around they'd be snickering at this, but he'd like to see _them_ standing up to Rose in any way, shape, or form. She had been banned from the dangerous library sections for a reason, and that reason had next to nothing to do with her own safety. In fact, if the truth be told, it was because he and Endymion had been worried about their own. And if Mal had a more deflated 

head atop his shoulders, he too would worry alongside them. "HOW many times must I ask you to call me Rose, like every other of my brother's friends except for that one who isn't even WORTH as much as a breath."

"You mean the one you just gave a couple breaths' worth of words for?" Helios couldn't help but say. He wished he hadn't at the look he received. "Anyway, it's not right to call her Highness anything but her respectful, given name." Helios turned to leave and felt slightly remiss when Rose followed in his direction.

"Everyone else seems to forget this, Helios, why can't you?" Rose continued, an oddly petulant and soft look masking her face.

"Because it's my place to remember this sort of thing?" Helios answered hopefully. He looked to his side and up a couple inches, as Rose-Quartz stood taller than him. She seemed nonplussed at his answer. "And what are you doing away from the Temple at this hour? Isn't it your job today to-"

"No, Helios, today it is _your_ turn to tend to the 20 some shrine maidens." Helios couldn't help but let the groan escape his lips, and was surprised to hear an uncharacteristic giggle from the woman next to him.

"Don't you start making comments about my incompetence at being High Priest," Helios voiced the first thought that appeared in his head.

Rose looked slightly aghast at the thought. "I wouldn't ever say that sort of thing, Helios. I've watched you since you were much younger. Incompetent would not grace my description of you. I only thought it was funny how you ignore the other women and seem to always be nowhere in sight when your duties become related to them... But such a mere coincidence has nothing to do with you, right Helios?" Helios merely glanced in the opposite direction, trying to hide his smirk of triumph as another giggle issued from Rose-Quartz.

"Of course not, Highness. Now if you could please direct to me to what time I am required at the Temple...?"

"As soon as possible, you're meant to see them through tonight's ceremony, remember?" Helios tried to mask the look of utter disbelief and surprise that leaped onto his face at the words. But that wasn't supposed to be until... "Rose, what's today?!"

"Um... 30 Jupitezum, why?"

"That gives me almost no time at all...!" Helios sprinted ahead, around the corner and out of sight.

"But Helios, what about today's ceremony?!" Rose cried futilely after him, debating whether to follow or not.

- -

What a wonderful sound it was for Rini's ears to experience her own name being called out from down the hall. She felt her body instantly respond, and felt the pain in her head soon after hitting it on the underside of the bed. Luckily, the man waiting for Ezra, whoever he was, chose to spring up at the same moment. The clatter that his jump, coupled with Ezra slamming her bedroom chamber door open, masked Rini's blunder. Obviously, Ezra knew she was already there. But it wasn't necessarily a _good_ thing, right? Rini could only _assume_ whoever it was there in the room with her was romantically affiliated with Ezra, but if her guess was way off and he was her superior, he could beat Ezra horribly or something for her having hidden Rini, right? And then send Rini back off to some imaginary workplace? Or worse, beat Rini too! That always happened in the stories her mama told her about evil slave traders... Rini did not wish to risk the security of her knew-found friend. Of course, it was most likely that the man who had cursed Endymion's shirt and its anonymous owner so hideously had some sort of affection towards Ezra... but that certainly wouldn't stop him from coming after Rini if he was that sort of individual.

"Jackson!" Rini heard surprise in Ezra's voice, and the bit of subtle affection for him as well. Rini should have been happy for Ezra that she wasn't about to be chewed out by someone who disliked her, but all Rini could feel for the servant was a mixture of relief due to her return and pity for what Ezra was about to go through. From the proximity of their feet, Rini guessed Ezra'd just bumped into her beau and had thus taken a step back to assess him, and the oddness that he of all people was standing in her room. "What are you doing in here?" she voiced Rini's own question.

"Ezra-" this "Jackson's voice had deepened somewhat from the substantial mutterings and cursing Rini'd heard uttered before. "What in all the Hells is-"

"Oh, never mind, Jack," Ezra said, brushing off her own question, ignoring his assumed answer, and walking to her wardrobe, Rini guessed out of some hope of finding her, "have you seen a little girl in here? She has hair to rival that of Her Highness..."

"What?"

"I said have you seen-"

"This is no time to be on some sort of a wild goose hunt for some little girl, Ezra! I don't care what Marganta has you doing right now, we need to talk!" Rini had been silently beckoning Ezra, who'd been on her knees and about to look under the bed, towards her. She did not have any passion for hearing arguments. And she could just _tell_ by Jackson's tone, which was beginning to sound very similar to that of her peeved father, that a lovely quarrel would be ensuing shortly.

Ezra stood back up, and faced Jackson (from what Rini could guess). "Well, right now's not really a good time, but what is it Jack?" Ezra had obviously no idea how to read male tones yet, Rini decided. Her voice was casual, with a bit of impatience dashed in there. NOT the way 

to go about appeasing the more masculine half. At this point Rini sighed, and began scooting towards the end of the bed nearest the door. Perhaps with them so wrapped up with one another, she could get out without Jackson seeing her. Ezra counted as intelligent (for the most part, it seemed) so she could surely guess Rini'd left of her own free will. And come to think of it, if Rini ever got out of the room, she could always find her way back to Ezra's room later and leave a note or something to that effect.

"'What is it', she asks...Ezra, I want a truthful answer from you." Never good words, Rini continued her mental commentary as she made her way slowly toward the opposite end. "Do you want to cry off?"

Rini could envision the blank look Ezra gave Jackson. "Come again?" she voiced her confusion.

"I'm _tired_ of having to guess about your whereabouts! Answer me, do you or do you not love me?"

"Jackson, of course I love you! What is this all about?" Poor, poor Ezra...

"THIS! That's what this is about!" Rini's head peaked out from under the bed, and before she sprang towards the door, she had to take a look at Ezra's face. Rini could be positive that the hysterical smile that was sure to be followed by bouts of laughter were NOT what Jackson had expected. "Ezra, it's not funny-"

Rini closed the door quietly behind her, hoping the sound of what was to come would be somewhat muffled behind it. She made a silent whisper of prayer to the Goddess of Love to help Ezra phrase her next couple of sentences correctly. Or else she and Jackson would never get past this, and that would just be sad. 'Now,' Rini continued, looking both ways, 'to find Endymion...which way did I come again?'

- -

Helios skidded to a halt before running into Jadeite, walking perpendicular to him, and in obvious deep thought. Helios had been sure he'd made enough noise to call attention to himself (it hadn't all been on purpose, but after having a couple of people leap out of his way before he had the chance to barrel into them, he'd decided it was a good thing) for about a mile around him. Jadeite did, however, turn around to stare at the panting Helios.

"Make an escape from our favorite princess?" he asked.

"You have been spending too much time with Malachite if you are able to make that sort of comment without having a will made out," Helios answered, taking deep gulps of air.

"Well, the only other reason I can fathom your running like a madman through here is that you've just found something of great importance and must immediately find the Highness to tell him. Or I suppose we could be under some sort of attack? Is it one of those?" Helios goggled 

at the cheery look that accompanied Jadeite's statement, especially the second possible answer. He'd often wondered if Jed was unintelligent, naive, or just too happy for his own good. But then again, Helios too often qualified as all of the above...

"No...well, I do have something to do..." Helios was going to end the conversation there, but found Jed first at his heels and then next to him, walking the opposite direction he had been before Helios had come upon him. "Which, come to think of it, don't you as well? Aren't you supposed to be in training with Malachite?"

Jadeite pouted a moment, then shrugged it off. "He ditched me for some meeting with Endymion and Zoi. Since they're going to Amaranta together, I suppose. So I thought I'd follow you around today."

"How kind of you..." Helios said, smiling despite his sarcastic comment. "I was planning on going to the library in this section."

"There's a library for the Rose Sector too? But I thought the one in Ivy was the only one..." Jadeite looked confusedly at Helios. And Helios didn't blame him for the confusion; it was Helios's belief that the single member of their garren who knew the castle backwards, forwards, upside down, and in their sleep was Zoisite, although Malachite and Endymion were close behind. Zoi knew every inch of the palace from studying every structural manuscript and model known to man. His reasoning was beyond everyone else...Malachite and Endymion knew of every passageway and many of the empty rooms from childhood expeditions and adventures, which of course also assured that Ren knew of them all too. But both Mal and Endy lacked knowledge when it came to the use of the rooms that were of no use to them.

"The Rose Sector library is off limits to most everyone except the garren, myself, and Endymion. Most people don't even know about it...and it requires a certain spell to pass through it. Don't worry, you'll learn it after you're officially inducted at Endymion's coronation next year," Helios smiled at Jadeite's frown of disappointment. "It is not because no one trusts you, Jed. Endymion wouldn't have chosen you to BE in the garren if he harbored any doubts about you. But it's the silly rules we all have to abide by. There are many downsides of course," Helios voice changed noticeably into one with a tone of acceptance along with annoyance, "such as the fact that once one knows the spell, there is no way to keep them out of the library. So let's say one royal highness will hair the color of a pink rose with knowledge of the library's spell was told never again to look at particular sections." Helios looked back to Jed with an attempted face of displeasure, but he didn't manage to hide the twitching grin. "I have absolutely no way to prevent her from attaining the spells, enchantments, hexes, etc. from this library. Unfortunately."

Jadeite smiled in return, knowing exactly who Helios wasn't bringing up by name.

- -

Zoisite glared profusely at Malachite, who stared at him passively until he felt his sides would split from laughter. Malachite attempted to control this and prayed his mask didn't crack as he asked, "What?" Zoisite had not blinked and for all Mal was used to malicious threats, 

Zoisite's silent ones were creeping him out slightly.

"You let him escape," Zoisite seethed. Finally, Malachite's mask broke under the strain of not laughing at Zoisite a bit. He managed to not laugh aloud, however.

Instead, he kept his expression to a tight smile and answered, "Oh come ON Zoi, you can't expect him to get it ALL done!"

Zoisite's glare dissipated after another moment, and he sighed in defeat. "I know..." He glanced back up at Mal, who seemed to be admiring the amount of paper work that still lay piled on the table. As the other garren's eyes traveled to the papers strewn over the floor, Zoisite was reminded of his and Endymion's discussion rather than all the work his prince had managed escape. "Malachite...has Endymion brought up any unusual subjects recently with you?" Malachite looked at Zoisite suspiciously, sensing some sort of trap. He wasn't sure what kind yet... "Like marriage?"

As was usual with any subject Zoisite actually brought up, Malachite was caught off guard and so allowed his eyes to widen. "Not since we were kids. Ren frightened Hades out of him by telling Endy his mother planned on having him marry Rayna. I don't think I've ever seen Endy cry so hard in his life..."

"Probably best not to mention that one to Jed," Zoisite said thoughtfully. "His mother's Martian, remember? And he was raised there...I would be willing to bet he has strong feelings for Mars and her future ruler."

"Martian or not," Malachite countered, "it doesn't mean he can't admit Rayna hates all of Terra, especially Endymion."

"Now I wouldn't-"

"Zoi," Malachite looked knowingly at his long time friend, "don't even try to smooth that one over."

"Fine," Zoisite conceded, then added, "I can't think of a good argument now anyway. So, Endymion hasn't made any mention at all to you of marriage?"

"Not in the slightest. Why?"

"Be prepared. He's under the impression their Magesties will be requiring him to secure an engagement as soon as this trip."

"He'd be under the right one, then," Malachite said, and would have enjoyed Zoisite's shock had the subject been different. "I can't see any other reason for the High King and Queen to cut their tour of Anda short this year other than to lay some more responsibilities on Endymion. The High King isn't required to be at the council this year, with Endymion being coroneted next summer. Endymion is supposed to be getting an idea of what he should expect his 

first year of his reign. So what their Majesties have in store is not really that difficult to guess." The snarl in Malachite's voice was unmistakable.

Zoisite found Malachite's tone a little uncalled for. Tentatively, he asked, "You do realize he has less than a year before he is High King, right?"

"And you realize," Malachite cut Zoisite off, "that that means he has less than a year of freedom by his and most of our standards left? I don't know if you've noticed, Zoi, but Endymion's been avoiding this since he was old enough to turn the other direction. And he's finally realizing, a bit too late by my standards, that all the responsibility he's so cunningly outwitted and avoided until now is about to all come crashing down on him at once. I just hope he lives until the next council meeting..."

"If he'd eased into the responsibility over the years instead of running-"

"You can't just EASE into an engagement."

"I know that. I meant-"

"That's the kind of responsibilities Endy has been tossed over the years. There was no _easing_ as soon as he reached court age."

"All right, Mal," Zoisite uncharacteristically backed down again that day. "I suppose there's no use in fighting about it. MY point, for now, is that we need to be ready to carry half of Endymion's weight once we get to Amaranta, and probably beyond that for a while. If the King and Queen really do-"

"Oh, trust me, they won't hesitate. A royal wedding is just what Solange has been waiting for these last 20 years."

"You speak so highly of your aunt," Zoisite noted as he finished restacking the pile of papers from the floor and transferring them back to the top pile on the table. "She's the High Queen. How can you-"

"Easily," Malachite said shortly.

"But if Queen Solange wanted a wedding...Rose-Quartz?" Zoisite stared inquisitively at the captain.

"You'll have to take Quartz up with Helios. That's _his_ domain." Malachite said, waving away Zoi's look.

"Just like I can't see Endymion spending the rest of his life with Lapis, no matter how good they get along and how perfect a match it really would be, for the life of me, I cannot imagine Helios with Rose. They don't mesh well somehow...neither couple."

"Politics, my dear Zoi. You, of all people, should be familiar with them."

"Familiarity does not necessarily invite acceptance."

"Be happy you got lucky, Zoisite. That's all I can tell you."

- -

"Anything I can do to help, Helios?" Jadeite asked, warily eyeing the large stack of books Helios balanced in front of himself. It was a good thing barely anyone came to this particular library, there was no doubt in Jadeite's mind that all those books would lead to great injury should they topple out of Helios's control and onto some innocent bystander two floors down. Bound to be a messy incident, involving lots of paperwork. Luckily, there seemed to be very few people there. No one, actually, that Jadeite could see. It was too bad; for all the splendors the Ivy Sector's library had to offer, this library seemed to duplicate and go far beyond them. It had countless rows of books, reaching up five stories in some places. It seemed a wonder that no one was curious as to what was within this large area of the castle. One would think someone would notice that all the rooms didn't add up to the amount of space the castle took up... Then again, Jadeite guessed it might have to do with the magic that kept most everyone out.

Helios looked around the books he'd acquired, smiling at Jadeite's fascination to the library itself. Being the least bookish of the Garren, it said something of the library that even Jed was awed. "Not really, Jed. Unless you can tell me what I'm supposed to be doing up at the temple this minute…"

"Well, today's the 30th of Jupitezum…should you be readying the shrine maidens for the coming of the Virgin of Jupiter? She ought to appear tomorrow night in Jupiter's Shrine, which hasn't been visited by the entourage yet this season. I know for a fact it's in need of some preparations…"

"You have just found yourself your job, Jed," Helios said, sitting down and opening the first book. A lot needed to be done in a short amount of time; he had to figure a way to help Endymion with his problem regarding Gaia's crystal, and preferably before he left for Amaranta the next morning.

"I-but-what?" Jadeite sputtered out to the High Priest, who seemed to have taken no notice and only turned a page. "That's not something I can simply DO, Helios!"

"Why not? You know what to do; I was training you as an acolyte before you were taken into Garren training, you should have a pretty good idea what's going on. And it's not as though it's the coming of Ceres I'm asking you to prepare…"

"Technically, Helios, I'm not even part of the temple any longer. How do you expect-" Jadeite halted at the look Helios gave him, and was suddenly reminded of Endymion's warning once about how Helios had a surprising ability to curse his way (literally) into getting something done the way he wanted. "Fine…I suppose I can do it…but this'll be the last time."

"My dear Jed, I solemnly swear this is the last time you will have to arrange the ceremony of the coming of the Virgin of Jupiter." Helios said, going back to scanning the books' words knowing there would be little resistance from the youngest garren member.

"I note that you only say the last of this particular ceremony, but not others?"

"That all depends on your performance level."

"That's not fair, Helios, I can't very well do the job POORLY-"

"Exactly," with the flash of a grin, Helios tossed his first book aside and started on the second. Jadeite groaned and went to search for a book explaining the exact requirements for the ritual, muttering under his breath about stupid, older priests who threatened with their powers, which was surely against some rule somewhere…

- -

Endymion ran down the unfamiliar servant's corridor, in the direction that Lady Marganta had directed him to go. Honestly, Rini was either in Ezra's chamber still or she wasn't. He usually could be reasonable and rational about these sorts of things, but as he'd waited in his room as patiently as he possibly could, attempting not to see the Lady of the Household tear his room to bits before him, Endymion had begun to dream up every sort of negative occurrence that could happen to Rini. It had begun with him just thinking about how long it had taken him to find Marganta, and how extensive the grounds were, and how many different servants there were... Then he'd moved on to how many _hiding_ places were available in the castle as well, which deemed any sort of search for Rini doomed from the start.

And before he'd known it, he'd ordered Marganta to tell him how to get to Ezra's chamber, and now he was racing towards it. Yet even with servants, portraits, and the like racing by him, his mind raced on a track of its own. If Rini's mother, obviously an extraordinarily powerful woman, found the evil she had fought so amazingly overpowering that she practically died because of it, what chance did a five year old child have against them? Not that he honestly thought that whoever they were could travel space and time to find her...but then again, who knew what advances the future had that hadn't been obvious to he and Helios and the others in the dream? Half of what he and Helios had seen, at the least, had been unfamiliar and made almost no sense...what if in Rini's time, traveling between worlds, dimension, etc. was usual? But then wouldn't she have been more familiar with it?

Endymion could just hear a couple familiar voices shouting in unison at his mind, 'Endymion! Be rational!' He wanted to sarcastically tell them "yes, masters" but he knew that Serenity and Malachite would both take it a bit too seriously.

He stopped short outside a partially closed door with the number Marganta had specified for her niece's room. Endymion, hearing no sounds from within, wasted no time in slamming the door open to find the slight servant girl in the arms of a slightly older, taller boy. It took a moment for Endymion to register the sight. "Youth wastes no time..." he muttered despite 

himself, watching Ezra and her...lover? turn bright red.

Stuttering and forgetting herself as a servant, Ezra spoke without even a curtsy to her prince. Endymion was glad of this, and hoped she'd forget more...maybe tell her friends to forget as well. "I didn't find her in here. She probably left, but she is wearing clothes I gave to her, so she could get in trouble... I'll help you find her, if you'd like, Highness," and suddenly manners came rushing back and Endymion inwardly groaned. The man behind Ezra seemed beyond flabbergast and simply stood in surprise. Whether from seeing the Crown Prince himself or from being walked on at such an awkward point in time, or both, Endymion could not be sure.

"That's all right, I can do fine myself," he said, turning and sprinting out of the door. He attempted to keep a calm facade, but inside he churned. 'Why am I running again?' he asked himself. 'Honestly, what could happen to her here? ...besides being put to work and deciding to leave before letting us help her!' Endymion lengthened his stride.

- -

So, aside from about a page of the next chapter, this is all I have written thus far for this particular story. But I do promise, it won't stay that way for long! I haven't really written much in the last couple of years, so I'm a bit out of practice, but the summer months stretch out beyond me and I'm tired of having these ideas for what I could POSSIBLY do buzzing around in my head and not actually applying them to paper! ...or computer, as the case may be.

I have the rest of this story basically mapped out, which some scenes written here and there, and the ending complete. It's a matter of filling in the blanks, which I intend to do!

I said a couple chapters back that there would be more characters appearing, and that is soon to come. Think of these first few chapters as the introduction to my twist on the Silver Millenium. Things will take off, or at least I think they do -

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!

Moonlight Eternal

Coming in the next chapter...

Endymion leaves for Amaranta.


End file.
